Messi, whose contract with Paris Saint-Germain ends on June 30, announced Wednesday that he would not be returning to Barcelona due to the uncertainty around whether the club would be able to register his contract with La Liga.
In a statement that received backlash on social media, Barcelona responded by saying they “understood” Messi’s decision to remove himself from the spotlight.
“On Monday, Jorge Messi, the player’s father and representative, informed club president Joan Laporta of the player’s decision to join Inter Miami,” said Barcelona.
“This was despite having been presented with an offer from Barcelona, taking into account the desire of both Barcelona and Messi for him to once again wear the club’s colors.”
“President Laporta understood and respected Messi’s choice to compete in a league with fewer demands, further away from the spotlight and the pressure he has faced in recent years.” Barcelona is currently exceeding their La Liga-imposed spending limit and can only invest 40% of any money they save or generate.
Even if Messi were willing to play for free, league sources said he would have accounted for €25 million within Barcelona’s cap, based on previous earnings. Thus, registering him is not feasible. This situation is strikingly similar to when Messi left the club in August 2021.
After announcing his intention to sign with Miami, Messi said he did not want to put himself in that situation again and preferred to keep his future in his “own hands.”
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez, who led efforts to persuade Messi to return to the club where he spent 20 years, said he respected the Argentine forward’s decision.
“We spoke a lot, and I noticed a change in recent days,” Xavi told reporters on Thursday. “[I felt] that maybe he didn’t see [coming back] as clearly. We have to respect his decision. Often, we don’t put ourselves in others’ shoes and lack empathy. Being Leo, being Messi cannot be easy. You talk about the spotlight; imagine what it’s been like for him. He has never had any quiet moments.”
“When he’s playing, he has to be the best, 10 out of 10 in everything, attacking, defending; he can’t miss a penalty. He hasn’t had a good two years [in Paris], as he has explained.”
“The hope [he would come back] was generated because we talked a lot. We were all excited: him, me, the club … but the circumstances didn’t fall into place.”
Messi, who turns 36 later this month, said the “final details” still need to be sorted before his move to Miami is officially complete, with his debut expected to occur in July once his PSG contract ends. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner could be joined at his new club by Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets, with sources confirming to ESPN that the former Spain midfielder is in talks with Inter Miami as well as two clubs in Saudi Arabia.
Xavi, meanwhile, stated that Barcelona’s priority after missing out on Messi is to sign a creative midfielder and a replacement for Busquets, who is also out of contract on June 30.
However, he ruled out a move for PSG forward Neymar following rumors that the Brazilian forward had offered himself to the Catalan club.
“That’s a surprise,” Xavi said when asked about Neymar. “In theory, he’s not part of our plans for the summer. I have a lot of time for him as a friend, but we have other priorities in the transfer market.”
“The club knows the players we want. I won’t get into names, but we need a Busquets replacement and another midfielder to play further forward.”
