What the president of FC Barcelona says about the possible return of Leo Messi to the Catalan squad

Joan Laporta, the president of FC Barcelona, denied on a radio station on Tuesday information about the possible return of star Lionel Messi to the Camp Nou, stating that she had not received messages from the footballer or his entourage regarding a possible return to the Spanish team, Agerpres reported.

“I have not received any message from Messi for his return to Barca. Nor from his entourage. And we don’t take that into account for the time being. We’re building a new young team combined with experienced players who are doing a good symbiosis that’s starting to work,” Joan Laporta said.

“But Leo is Leo, the best player in the world. With his state of mind, Messi is a winner and deserves respect, both as a player and as a person,” Joan Laporta said.

These statements by the Barcelona president come after reports surfaced in recent weeks in the international sports press that Messi’s entourage had contacted Catalan club officials with a view to his return to Barca, from whom the Argentinian parted ways last summer when he signed for Paris Saint-Germain.

The 34-year-old Agrentinian star Lionel Messi played 17 seasons at FC Barcelona, during which time he won 10 La Liga championship titles, 4 Champions Leagues and 7 Spanish Super Cups, among other trophies.

A seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, the Argentine footballer left FC Barcelona in tears in september 2021 after Catalan club officials were unable to register, due to financial problems, the new contract the Argentinian had signed at the time with the group at the Camp Nou.

PHOTO: EPA