The president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta, said on Wednesday that the possibility of legend Lionel Messi returning to the Catalan giants is “unrealistic.”
The 38-year-old Argentine superstar made a surprise appearance at Camp Nou on Sunday night, telling fans he hoped “one day I can return, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to do.”
Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and Barcelona’s all-time top scorer and appearance maker, left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 after two decades at the club because of its precarious financial position.
“Out of the utmost respect for Messi, the professionals at the club, Barca, and the Barca club members, I believe that now, to speculate on something unrealistic, nor do I think it is fair, is not appropriate,” Laporta told Catalunya Radio.
The president, who was in charge when Messi departed, said he harboured no regrets, noting that “Barca is above everything.”
Laporta also expressed his desire to host a match honouring Messi’s career at the rebuilt Camp Nou once it is fully open.
“Things didn’t end the way we would have liked… if, in some way, this tribute can make up for what wasn’t done, I think it would be a good thing,” he said.
