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Football

08th Feb 2023

Lionel Messi makes decision on Barcelona return

Callum Boyle

Is a fairytale return on the cards?

Lionel Messi will not make a fairytale return to Barcelona, according to his brother.

Messi’s contract at Paris Saint-Germain expires at the end of the season and although the two are locked in talks, it hasn’t stopped the 35-year-old being linked elsewhere.

Barcelona were forced to let the Argentinian leave in 2021 – after almost two decades at the club – due to their financial mismanagement.

Lionel Messi

Ever since he left the Camp Nou, Messi has been linked with what would be a special return but his brother has claimed that any return is off the cards unless Barça president Joan Laporta leaves.

Speaking on his son’s Twitch channel, Matias said: “I have a SPORT cutting that says ‘Messi should return to Barcelona’ and I’ve put underneath it ‘Hahaha’.

“We are not going back to Barcelona, and if we do, we are going to have a good clearout, kicking-out, among others, Joan Laporta who is ungrateful after all that Messi did for Barcelona.”

Matias then went on to slam the Barcelona fanbase, claiming that they opted to support Laporta over their former star man before suggesting the Catalan club only became known around the world because of his brother.

“People [in Barcelona] did not support him. People should have gone out to do a march or something, let Laporta leave and Messi stay. The Catalans are traitors,” he exclaimed.

“Barcelona started to become globally recognised because of Messi, before that people only knew Madrid.”

After a difficult first season in France, Messi has seemingly now found his feet in Paris and has had a more more successful season.

The forward has 15 goals and 14 assists from 24 games in all competitions for club this season and also led Argentina to a first World Cup win since 1986.

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