The hidden side of Messi's visit

BarcelonaLeo Messi's clandestine return to Camp Nou made me think of those novels that tell you the ending in the first paragraph, like The tunnel by fellow Argentinian Ernesto Sábato. It only takes 14 words to inform us that a murder has taken place, who the murderer is, and who the victim is. However, this tells us almost nothing, and a whole novel remains to be told. Nor does the image of Messi posing distractedly on the Camp Nou pitch explain much to us.With a touristy air. It's simply a matter of revealing the end of the story in the first paragraph to grab the reader's attention. The images were an emotional explosion, but at first, they didn't resolve any of the core questions.

My first thought when I saw Messi's post was a memory: the banner Joan Laporta hung near the Santiago Bernabéu during the last election campaign, which changed the mood of Barcelona fans and gave him half the victory at the polls. The rational part of my brain automatically ruled out the possibility that Messi would enter the Camp Nou without notifying the club beforehand, however upset he may be with Laporta for his departure. Having had no time to do anything other than stare in awe at the photographs, it seemed more likely to me that the Argentine footballer and the Barça president had made peace four years later during a clandestine barbecue and, with this post, Messi was expressing his love for the club while simultaneously mending the wound with Laporta. The conclusion was simple: if that was the case, Laporta had just won the elections without even calling them.

As the minutes ticked by and conversations with sources inside and outside the club quickly dispelled this theory, some of the core questions began to surface. Messi had managed to sneak into Camp Nou under cover of darkness without informing the club he loves. Messi had once again performed an act of love for Barça. Barça fans are still in love with Messi. Messi and Laporta still haven't had a barbecue. These are the main answers we have. But many others remain hidden: Was the sole purpose of Messi's prank to demonstrate his love for Barça? Despite his strained relationship with Laporta, why didn't he inform anyone at the club? Will this be the only move Messi makes regarding Barça before the elections? How did Laporta react to Messi's visit?