Laporta will have to apologize on behalf of himself and the entire club for orchestrating his exit.
For the pragmatist Laporta, it should be a formality, but getting Messi to accept it and fully trust Barcelona’s power brokers again will be far more difficult.
After being promised that everything was in place to keep him at the club, he eventually left. Even taking time away from his vacation, he went back to Barcelona and signed a new contract.
While every effort is being made to forge ties, including a meeting between Laporta and Messi’s father Jorge, there has still been no communication between the two parties.
The contract’s specifics will also need to be discussed, particularly those related to the club’s ongoing long-term initiative.
In order for him to be present for the team’s return to the Nou Camp and take part in the celebrations for the club’s 125th anniversary, Barca wants to extend him a two-year contract.
According to the Spanish newspaper Sport, the club would offer him 25 million euros (£22.1 million) gross each season, which is only a fourth of what he made at the end of his previous stint. The club is convinced that this will meet La Liga’s requirements.
There is even speculation that the historic structure that once housed La Masia, the residence for youth players, could be converted into a Messi museum, with all earnings going toward funding his eventual return. La Liga has informed the team that they are not permitted to use any additional financial tools, including selling off pieces of the team to raise money.
Why is Barcelona so fixated on Messi’s comeback?
Some media outlets have even suggested that because everyone is fixated on Messi’s conceivable return to Barcelona, the ongoing Negreira scandal is being ignored.
Regarding payments made to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, a former vice-president of Spain’s referees committee, Barcelona is accused of corruption.
His return would undoubtedly restore some of the club’s status, which many people believe it has recently lost.
Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, is caught in a difficult predicament regarding how to handle it.
He is aware that every other Spanish team will be keeping an eye on him and Barcelona to ensure they adhere to the rules exactly.
Tebas has been fairly candid in his remarks regarding a potential comeback, saying: “Of course, we are not going to change any rules for Messi to sign. But I hope they can make the necessary adjustments to make room for him to come in. Barca is capable of action; they sell players.
Because I am a fan of Messi and would like to see him play in our league, that is what we hope will happen. We won’t alter any rules, though. Although it’s challenging, I believe they can manage it.
The relationship between Barcelona and Tebas is still strained since Laporta favors the creation of the European Super League, which is the exact opposite of Tebas’ plan for the development of European football. On either side, there isn’t much room for diplomacy.
What would Messi say about a comeback?
He is eager to go back to the place where he spent around 18 years as a resident and where he developed from a young, homesick lad into a responsible spouse, father, and football star.
It is evident that Xavi, the manager of Barcelona, views him as an essential component of his future ambitions, and that will be more significant to him than any financial factors.
In a 4-3-3 configuration or at the top of the diamond in a 4-4-2, Messi would play, according to his former teammate, who believes there is a 90% likelihood that he would return.
The way his exit from the team in 2021 is handled will be a problem, and while Messi might find it in his heart to forgive, it’s highly unlikely he’ll ever forget.
Because they were the ones who fired him two summers ago, there is still mistrust toward a few important club directors.
There are several choices outside Barcelona, not the least of which is a staggering offer of nearly 400 million euros (£354 million) from Saudi Arabia to compete for a season in the same league as Cristiano Ronaldo.
Major League Soccer (MLS) offers less lucrative choices as well, and his current club has a deal on the table as well, albeit there are questions regarding PSG’s long-term sporting goals.
Will it occur?
Messi will rejoin the team if Barcelona has the ultimate word.
That is the message they have been continuously promoting to the public through the media.
There are frequently rumors that his family has already returned from France with roughly 15 suitcases full of their belongings or that his kids have enrolled in a Barcelona school.
He has visited Barcelona a few times in recent months for social events and meals with Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and their wives. Why not, you ask? They had been close friends for a very long time.
Barcelona keeps looking into the possibilities, and if they can ultimately find a way, he will return.
However, despite Barcelona’s claims that they sincerely want to bring him back, Xavi’s optimism, and Messi’s desire to return, when his representatives ask the club, “What are you offering?,” the club’s response at the moment is, “Nothing just yet.”
