The return of Lionel Messi to Camp Nou at the start of the month caused a lot of talk in Catalonia. If many supporters were happy to see their idol again on the pitch of a stadium where he left his mark weekend after weekend and brought so much emotion to the Blaugranas, others saw it as a political maneuver aimed at destabilizing Joan Laporta. Party of the club in conflict with the Barcelona president, these photos in the Catalan enclosure are considered by many as a way of challenging and provoking the leader, the Argentinian knowing that he would have public opinion on his side.
If Barça tried to calm the fire, claiming that it was aware of this surprise visit from Messi, these few photos published by the Argentine legend set off a crazy media and political spiral in Catalonia. The debates concerning a possible return of La Pulga as a player or even as a leader rage, and there too, two clans are opposed. Some would be delighted to see Messi play again under the Barça tunic, others believe that the page has turned and that a return would not be positive for either party.
Messi, the X factor of the elections
But above all, Lionel Messi will have a huge political role, a little in spite of himself. The club’s presidential elections will be held between March and June (the date has not yet been officially decided) and the members will have to elect the one who will manage their club for the next five years. Joan Laporta will be a candidate for re-election, but he will have other serious rivals in front of him, like Victor Font, whose candidacy already counts on the support of such an important personality in Barcelona as Xavi Hernandez. Each candidate will therefore want to surround themselves with prestigious names, and the one who is favored by Lionel Messi will automatically have a huge advantage over the others. If it is unlikely that the eight-time Ballon d’Or will explicitly position himself as Xavi did, a simple rapprochement, even unofficial, with one of the candidates could change everything.
And they know it very well. Victor Font has already made it known that he intends to bring back the Argentinian, in the role that the latter chooses. “We must salute Lionel Messi and do everything possible so that, as soon as possible, he has the role at Barça that he wants to have, as he said last week, and which would delight all of us, the Barça fans. Erecting a statue to him would be far too little. Personally, as a Barça supporter, it would give me goosebumps to see him end his career here, but that obviously depends on him and we should definitely not try to use him. I think Joan Laporta did it, and repeatedly, and I think he was wrong, the last time more blatantly during the elections. This is another example of a broken promise and I think Messi should not be used, but Messi must know that the first thing I will do when I win the election is pick up the phone and call him. This will be the first phone call I make”he declared, with tackle on Laporta included, obviously.
Laporta, losing because of Messi?
In another interview, Font, who is clearly Laporta’s main rival, also claimed that in 2021, Laporta had chosen between Florentino Pérez and Messi, choosing the Madrid president. And for good reason, Florentino Pérez had asked Laporta not to sign an agreement with La Liga and the CVC fund which would have allowed the Catalans to extend Messi without any worries. And Laporta, partner of the Merengue boss in the European Super League project, had accepted. The Catalan lawyer had however promised, to get elected, that he was going to extend the Argentinian’s contract. Clearly, Font and the other candidates who will come forward as we approach know that they can use Messi’s name as a stab at Laporta.
If the presidential elections in Barcelona are generally marked by promises of galactic recruitment, this time everything will largely revolve around Messi, five years after his departure. In addition to having a huge influence on Barcelona public opinion and socios, Lionel Messi could also influence former teammates whose voice still counts in Barcelona, like Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, all very close to the Argentine. The next few months promise to be exciting in Barcelona, both on the field and in the offices…
