Joan Laporta opens door for Lionel Messi return after Barcelona election win
Re-elected Barcelona president Joan Laporta has opened the door for Lionel Messi to return to the Nou Camp following a dominant election victory on Sunday.
The 61-year-old secured a commanding 68.18% of the 48,480 votes cast by club members to defeat rival candidate Victor Font.
Font had heavily focused his campaign on the incumbent’s fractured relationship with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
However, the decisive mandate has emboldened the club chief to publicly suggest a future reunion with the Argentine star is possible.
A potential Nou Camp reunion
The World Cup winner famously departed Catalonia in 2021 amid severe financial constraints during Laporta’s current tenure.
He is currently playing in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami, where many expected the 38-year-old to finish his illustrious career.
Despite this, the newly mandated president believes the former Parisian could still make a sensational comeback to Spain.
“Leo will be linked to Barcelona in whatever way he wants to be,” Laporta told TV3.
“He deserves a tribute match and also a statue, which would be hugely significant.”
“The doors at Barca are always open to him, whenever he wishes, so that he can continue to strengthen and bring greatness to this institution.”
Xavi disputes 2023 transfer failure
The narrative surrounding the talismanic forward’s relationship with the current hierarchy remains highly contested.
Former head coach Xavi recently labelled his former boss a liar regarding failed negotiations to bring the legendary attacker back in 2023.
The legendary Spanish midfielder claimed the board deliberately blocked a completed deal after the forward decided to leave Paris St-Germain.
“The president is lying about what happened with Messi,” Xavi stated during the recent election campaign.
“The president negotiated the contract with Leo’s dad and we had the green light from La Liga financially, but it’s the president who pulled out.”
An unmatched legacy
The iconic playmaker established himself as the club’s greatest ever player over a two-decade spell, scoring an astonishing 672 goals in 778 appearances.
Despite his advancing years, he remains a highly influential figure in American football and retains a deep emotional connection to the Catalan giants.
