Barcelona President Joan Laporta reveals the main reason why Lionel Messi did not return to the club

Joan Laporta on Why Messi Did not Rejoin Barcelona : At the end of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain, Lionel Messi chose to join Inter Miami in the USA during the summer transfer window.

The Argentine star chose to sign in the United States and MLS rather than return to FC Barcelona and according to Joan Laporta, PSG is to be blamed.

Reigning Spanish champion, Barça thought it was the big hit of the summer by completing the return of Lionel Messi. But “La Pulga” finally decided to launch to go to the MLS by joining Inter Miami at the end of his contract at PSG.

In an interview with the newspaper Mundo Deportivo on Tuesday, the president of Barça notably revisited the failure of discussions for a return of Lionel Messi. The Blaugrana leader blamed PSG and France.

Arrived as a young teenager in Barcelona, Lionel Messi spent most of his career there between 2000 and 2021. Trained at La Masia, the Argentinian then won everything with his favorite club. But that was not enough to return there this summer. And yet, everything was ready for his big comeback.

“The player (Lionel Messi) wanted to come back, his father too. We didn’t want what happened the other time (the departure of Messi at the last moment, editor’s note) to happen to us and we told them that we would be limited by the fair- financial play” , explained Joan Laporta.

Then, after a while, the whole contract was completed.

But Lionel Messi finally opted for Inter Miami in MLS, partly because of PSG according to the Barcelona president. Marked by his two seasons in Ligue 1, and in particular by two turbulent campaigns in the Champions League, the 36-year-old striker has, it seems, suffered a little after his time in France.

“Jorge wanted to come and talk to me and told us that he had chosen Inter Miami because he had spent very tough seasons in Paris, where he was under pressure. In Miami he will be calmer and he will be able to think of the national team” , Joan Laporta said.

“Even if he wanted to return to Barça. He did not want to spend another year like the previous ones. It is understandable and we started to work on a great tribute Barca have to do for Lionel Messi.”