The Catalan club hopes to honor its greatest-ever player with a proper farewell and heal the wounds of his painful 2021 departure.
In a move to mend a years-long rift, FC Barcelona has opened communications with legendary player Lionel Messi. The club’s initiative is not an attempt to bring the Argentine star back from Inter Miami, but rather to build bridges and finally give him the send-off he deserves at the Camp Nou.
Messi, who is expected to sign a new contract with Inter Miami, is not the target of a transfer hijack. Instead, the outreach is seen as a strategic effort by current president Joan Laporta to gain the support of the club’s most iconic figure during an election year.
According to reports from Cadena Ser, there is a strong desire within the club to “heal” the relationship, which fractured dramatically when Messi was forced to leave for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 due to the club’s financial inability to register his contract.
The departure left a shadow over Messi’s historic tenure, which includes every major appearance, goal, and assist record at Barcelona. The tension was further exacerbated by Laporta’s public comments suggesting Messi could have played for free, a claim the player himself found deeply hurtful.
“Never at any moment did they ask me to play for free,” Messi stated in a past interview. “The president’s words were inappropriate. It hurt because I don’t think there was any need to say that.”
For Laporta, reconciling with Messi would be a hugely popular move among the fanbase and a significant step toward securing re-election. As Cadena Ser’s Sique Rodriguez explained, “No matter how much time passes, the Messi-Barca relationship must be mended. His image represents Barca around the world.” The club now hopes to turn the page on this painful chapter and properly honor its greatest legend.
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