On the night from Sunday to Monday, Lionel Messi set Barcelona on fire by posting photos of himself at the Camp Nou on his Instagram account. “Last night (Sunday, editor’s note), I returned to a place that I miss terribly. A place where I was so happy. You (the supporters) have made me feel many times like the happiest person in the world here. I hope that one day I can come back, and not just to say goodbye as a player…” Accompanied by his compatriot Rodrigo De Paul, the Argentinian still managed to spark a controversy.
In his photos, Messi appears alone and Barça has barely communicated about the event. Later, the local press will tell us that the 2022 world champion had not warned his favorite club and that he had simply presented himself in front of the gates of the culé enclosure, before asking that the doors be opened for him. And that’s not all. Other media also saw it as an act of defiance towards Joan Laporta. As a reminder, the relations between the player and the president who made him leave Barça are very bad and this unexpected return of the Pulga to the Camp Nou would be a political message intended for the boss of the Blaugranas. This morning, Laporta broke the silence at the microphone of Catalunya Radio.
“I know how it went.”
“Okay, I know how it went. It was a spontaneous and typical gesture of Barcelonaism. I didn’t know it. It’s his home. When I was told how it happened, I found it to be a nice, spontaneous and typical gesture of Barcelonaism. It’s a decent relationship, I haven’t sent him any messages. We love him here, it’s his home and he knows it. We’ve always said it, it’s only right that he has the best tribute in the world, I think it will be wonderful. We are working so that matches can be played here and in this context, I would like a tribute to be paid to the best player in history. I know he would like that too”he declared.
Finally, Laporta did not escape incessant questions about the conditions of departure from Pulga and his potential return to the club. Two hot topics that the boss of Culés evacuated quite quickly. “Given the way things went, I don’t regret anything: Barça is above everything. It didn’t turn out the way we all would have liked, but at that time it wasn’t possible. If the tribute can be done again, we would be happy. (…) Out of respect for Messi, the club professionals and the members, it would not be appropriate for me to make unrealistic speculations”. We may have to wait for Laporta’s departure to imagine Messi making his return to the Blaugrana.
