Barcelona's president has vowed to honour plans to pay tribute to Lionel Messi's trophy laden spell with the club despite the iconic forward having snubbed a return.
The legendary Argentine had been linked with a move back to Catalonia upon the conclusion of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain but shocked the world by resisting his former employers in favour of a move to MLS. However, it appears that any disappointment that the 36-year-old will be heading to Inter Miami seems to have settled down at Camp Nou.
Now, plans appear to be afoot for the World Cup winner to return to his old stomping ground to mark the reopening of the Blaugrana's home stadium. Barcelona have moved out of their famous 99,000-seater venue ahead of next season, with renovation works already underway to transform the largely open air arena into a state-of-the-art complex.
The €1.5 billion (£1.89 billion) project, will see the capacity of the world renowned ground increase to a mammoth 105,000 seats but the works do mean that Xavi Hernandez and his team will have to play in the city's Olympic Stadium for next season. The five-time European champions will then move back to the stadium in the realisation of plans which have been in the works for over a decade.
Their return looks set to come in the form of a tribute game to mark Messi's contributions to the club he served with such distinction some 778 times, winning four Champions Leagues and 10 La Liga titles in the process.
Club president Joan Laporta said: "We told him that we understood [his decision] and that the Cules did too. Barça will always be his home. I hope he does well in Miami.
"I told him we were working on a great tribute. We must remember the memory of the great players. I hope it will be when the Camp Nou reopens [in 2025]."
In a largely unprecedented move, Messi's decision to pursue a new chapter in the US did garner a response from the powers-that-be at the Catalonian club. A statement issued in the wake of the announcement of the player's next career move did appear to acknowledge that the Argentinian superstar's decision was respected, despite some frustrations that he had snubbed a return.
The statement read: "Jorge Messi, the player's father and representative, informed club president Joan Laporta of the player's decision to join Inter Miami This despite having been presented with a proposal from Barca, in consideration of the desire of both Barcelona and Messi for him to once again wear the club's colours.
"President Laporta understood and respected Messi's decision to want to compete in a league with fewer demands, further away from the spotlight and the pressure he has been subject to in recent years."
