The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner left Barcelona last summer for PSG after a spellbinding 21 years.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has left the door open for Lionel Messi to return to the club.
Following a breakdown in contract talks with Barcelona due to financial reasons, Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain on an initial two-year contract as a free agent last summer. He proceeded to help PSG win the Ligue 1 title in 2021/22.
However, while it’s been almost a year since the Argentina captain’s emotional Camp Nou departure, Laporta considers it his responsibility to give him a ‘more beautiful ending’.
What did Laporta say?
“Messi was everything,” the Barca president told ESPN.
“To Barca, he’s been possibly its greatest player, the most efficient. To me, he’s only comparable to Johan Cruyff. But it had to happen one day. We had to make a decision as a consequence of what we inherited. The institution is in charge of players, coaches.
“I would hope that the Messi chapter isn’t over. I think it’s our responsibility to try to … find a moment to fix that chapter, which is still open and hasn’t closed, so it turns out like it should have, and that it has a more beautiful ending.”
Laporta added: “As president of Barca, I did what I had to do. But also as president of Barca, and on a personal level, I think I owe him.”
In 776 appearances, Messi managed a club record of 670 goals and 302 assists for Barcelona. He helped the club win 34 trophies, including 10 LaLiga titles and four Champions Leagues, and claimed six of his seven Ballon d’Or awards in the Catalan capital.
The 35-year-old forward has one season left on his current PSG contract, plus the option of a further year.
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