Why Messi Did Not Return to Barcelona? Xavi Explains and Tebas Responds
In a new escalation of the controversy surrounding the future of Lionel Messi, Javier Tebas, the president of the Spanish league "La Liga", denied what former Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez stated regarding the league's approval for the Argentine star to return to the club in 2023.
Tebas confirmed, in statements reported by Marca from the program (Estadio TVE), that what has been said in this regard is "absolutely untrue", emphasizing that the league did not grant any financial approval for any negotiations concerning Messi's return.
For his part, Xavi surprised in his interview with La Vanguardia, indicating that Messi's return was indeed imminent while he was coaching Barcelona, after speaking with the player following Argentina's victory in the 2022 World Cup.
Xavi explained that he had been in contact with Messi for several months regarding the possibility of a return, and that the Argentine star showed great enthusiasm during the negotiations that lasted until March 2023.
Xavi noted that the club received preliminary approval from La Liga during negotiations with Jorge Messi, the player's father and agent, but blamed Joan Laporta, the club's president at the time, saying he was the reason the deal was halted after significant progress had been made.
It is worth mentioning that Messi left Barcelona in 2021 after more than two decades with the team due to the club's unstable financial situation, later moving to Paris Saint-Germain before joining Inter Miami in the United States.
The controversy between Xavi and Tebas has reignited questions about the possibility of Messi returning to Barcelona, which has not materialized to this day, amid conflicting statements from the parties involved.
