Gerard Pique has told Barcelona to name the redeveloped Camp Nou after Lionel Messi once he hangs up his boots.
Messi was close to leaving Barcelona in the summer after handing in a transfer request, informing the club of his desire to part ways.
President Josep Maria Bartomeu rejected such a prospect and instead did everything in his power to prevent the 33-year-old from departing.
After finding a legal battle was the only way to quit Camp Nou, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner opted to stay put for another year.
With Messi’s current contract in Catalonia is running out at the end of the season, there’s a genuine feeling he will be playing elsewhere in 2021/22.
Still, the Argentinean wizard has been instrumental in shaping one of the most successful eras in Barcelona’s history.
Messi’s legacy will live long after his professional career is finished, and Pique has urged the club to consider naming the new stadium after one of the best players ever.
“I didn’t have much to do with Leo [Messi] during that moment because it was a very personal decision,” Pique told La Vanguardia.
“I remember one message I sent: ‘Leo, it’s one year, then new people will come in…
“Leo has more than earned the right to make a decision, and if he felt he should leave… as president, I would have acted differently.
“A player that has given so much in 16 years, you’re obliged to reach an agreement with him.
“[But] how can it be that the best player in history gets up one day and sends a burofax because he feels he’s not being listened to? What’s happening?
“Messi deserves the lot. The new stadium should be named after him.
“We have to preserve our figures, not discredit them. I am surprised people like Pep [Guardiola], [Carles] Puyol, Xavi [Hernandez], and [Victor] Valdes aren’t at the club. Something is not being done right.”
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