Messi-Laporta: a conflict with no reconciliation in sight

BarcelonaThe Lionel Andrés Messi's seemingly impromptu photo shoot Messi's visit to the new Camp Nou has shaken the institutional peace of Joan Laporta's Barça. Four and a half years after his last visit to the Blaugrana facilities, the Argentine decided to revisit them, now that they are undergoing extensive renovations, without informing anyone at the club. Accompanied by his teammate Rodrigo de Paul and his ever-present advisor Pepe Costa, he arrived at one of the guard booths surrounding the stadium and asked for permission to access the pitch. According to sources close to him, the uniformed personnel granted the request immediately, which contradicts the version released from the Barça offices, where it is claimed that the club, minutes after being informed of the attempt, allowed Messi to even set foot on the pitch, that at that hour he was inside the stadium.

Beyond the nuances used to try and tip the narrative in its favor, what is undeniable is that the Rosario star took the Barcelona hierarchy by surprise. The men's first team had just won a league match in Vigo, and Laporta and other heavyweights of the organization were leaving Balaídos stadium in high spirits. Meanwhile, Messi entered the Camp Nou almost clandestinely, dressed in street clothes and nothing more. props than the mobile phones of those accompanying him. He gained access to the premises thanks to the favor of people outside the current Barça administration and left after dawn. The following morning, after receiving and selecting the photos and videos taken of him, he posted an Instagram post that was neither edited nor filtered by any member of his team. staffThe text, ending with ellipses, wasn't agreed upon with anyone. Perhaps that's why it was so successful: only the posts he made to celebrate the 2022 World Cup had more. likes that this "charming outburst", according to Laporta's definition on Catalunya Ràdio.

Messi's move and the subsequent response from the Barça president demonstrate that the wound opened in August 2021 will continue to fester. In fact, sources close to the Argentine, consulted by this newspaper, interpret Laporta's words as practically ruling out any reconciliation in the short term. "Four and a half years have passed since his departure, he still hasn't apologized and insists he doesn't regret anything. It will be very difficult for their positions to converge," they lament. Furthermore, these same sources question Laporta and his maxim that "no player or president is above the club," given that it was precisely he, after receiving intense pressure that could have threatened his newly reinstated presidency, who defied the general interest of Barça fans by not allowing their greatest idol to continue. It's worth remembering that at that time, the president's position was influenced by... because of the influence of guarantors like José Elías, who, like Florentino Pérez, moved heaven and earth So that Barça wouldn't sign the infamous agreement with CVC that Javier Tebas had orchestrated largely to keep Messi in La Liga. Just a year later, the club signed a very similar television rights deal with Sixth Street.

Awaiting the elections, but without a candidate

Despite that major disappointment, Messi once again believed in a possible return to Barcelona as a player after winning the World Cup. His contract with PSG was expiring, and with Xavi Hernández as his intermediary, he imagined himself back in the Blaugrana colors. The Terrassa native acted with the approval of Laporta and his former brother-in-law, Alejandro Echevarría, who also fueled the hopes of those around him, even though the deal was difficult to sell in a league that, having learned its lesson from the financial scandals of the summer of 2022, scrutinized all financial transactions. fair play Financially, as the days drew near for the transfer window to open, Messi realized that the possibility of returning to Barça once again depended more on having faith in Laporta than on any concrete plan to bring him back. Therefore, he accepted Inter Miami's offer to embark on an adventure in MLS. "On that occasion, it was Xavi who was brought down," sources close to the Argentine star conclude. That summer, Laporta ended up acting as guarantor so that Jorge Mendes could place João Cancelo and João Félix at Barça. At this point, Messi no longer expected to play for Barça again, something that Laporta, just in case, also ruled out "out of respect for Leo and the current squad." However, it is very likely that he will have a statue at the new Camp Nou, once it is finished, an initiative of the president that is awaiting the approval of the Argentine star's family. Tributes aside, he does hope to have an active role at Barça when he retires from playing. Although he has a contract with Inter Miami until December 2028, he intends to return to live in Barcelona with his family and reconnect with the club of his life. Not very interested at the moment in making the leap to coaching, he envisions himself more as an administrative figure, involved in sports planning. However, as long as Laporta remains president, unless things change drastically, it's unlikely they'll share a project. Furthermore, he doesn't see a clear alternative to challenge the current president in the elections scheduled for the spring.