Barcelona president Joan Laporta has ruled out the possibility of Lionel Messi returning to the team as a player, following the Inter Miami star's surprise appearance at Camp Nou this week.
terview with Diario Sport, Messi confirmed his desire to return to Barcelona in the future, but Laporta said that a return as a competitive player is not possible at the moment, saying: "His departure was not as we wanted, but out of respect for Messi and the club, it is not appropriate to raise unrealistic expectations."
Messi, 38, surprised fans with an unannounced visit on Sunday to the stadium, which is still undergoing renovations, before joining up with the Argentina national team in Spain.
Messi later shared the photos on social media, expressing his hope to "return to say goodbye to the club in a way that was not possible for him as a player."
Laporta expressed his surprise at Messi's visit , who arrived accompanied by his club and national teammate Rodrigo De Paul.
This was his first visit to Camp Nou since his move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, and the club hopes this visit will be a step towards organizing a testimonial match for him after the completion of the renovation work.
Laporta said: "I didn't know he was coming, but Camp Nou is his home. It was a spontaneous visit in the spirit of Barcelona, after dinner with some friends. It's only fair that Messi receives the most wonderful tribute possible. When the stadium is completed, it will have a capacity of 105,000 spectators, and we would like this occasion to be special for him."
During his more than 20 years at Barcelona , Messi spent 17 seasons with the first team, scoring 672 goals in 778 matches and winning 34 titles, including 10 Spanish League titles and 4 Champions League titles.
Messi left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, then moved to Inter Miami in 2023, where he recently extended his contract to stay with the team until the end of the 2028 MLS season.
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