Lionel Messi’s brother took aim at both Barcelona and their president Joan Laporta.
Lionel Messi’s brother has launched an astonishing attack on Barcelona and president Joan Laporta after dismissing any hope of the playmaker going back to his former club. The Argentinian superstar has been linked with a return to the Catalan giants this summer, but a fresh tirade from his brother has cast doubt on him going back to Barcelona again.
The 35-year-old was essentially forced to leave Barca in August 2021 after the combination of the club’s financial problems and the new salary restrictions meant they could not renew his contract.
He was set to sign a new five-year deal with the La Liga club, which involved paying a reduced salary to ensure he could stay, but La Liga’s measures meant the Blaugrana had to release Messi on a free transfer. He later joined PSG on a two-year contract, but refused to rule out a move back to his adopted home in Catalonia when Barcelona’s money concerns were no longer an issue.
But in footage that has since been removed, Matias Messi, the player’s brother, laughed off the suggestion he could head back to Spain and threatened to force president Joan Laporta out of the club, accusing “traitors” of failing to support Messi when he needed it. According to Marca, Messi’s entourage has ‘distanced’ himself from his brother’s comments.
“I have a SPORT clip that says ‘Messi should return to Barcelona’ and I said “hahahaha’,” Messi’s brother said in footage uploaded to Twitch. “We are not going back to Barcelona, and if we do, we are going to do a good cleaning. Among them, kick out Joan Laporta.
“People [in Barcelona] did not support him. They should have gone out for a protest or something, let Laporta leave and Messi stay. The Spanish are traitors. I’m saying this because I want it to come out of our guts.”
Messi is out of contract this summer and is set to decide his future towards the end of the season, with reports of his PSG extension being finalised yet to be officially confirmed by the club. The French champions want to keep him at the club, but it remains to be seen whether he will commit.
But it seems he may have also closed the door for good on an emotional return to the Camp Nou, where he spent 21 years of his glittering career and won 36 trophies, as well as scoring a club-record 672 goals in 778 appearances.
Barcelona head coach Xavi says he would welcome Messi back at the club, but admitted the decision would be the player’s to make. When asked about if he would like to work with him, he told the Hindustan Times: “Why not? I think it depends on him. What he wants, what he feels.
“Of course, Barcelona is always Messi’s home. Doors will be opened for Leo, especially if I’m the coach here. Let’s see what he wants to do. The decision depends on Messi more than the club.”
If the World Cup winner does leave PSG, he has been tipped to join Inter Miami – the club co-owned by David Beckham – after his father, Jorge, held talks with Miami chairman Jorge Mas.
