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Nieuws
- 42 minutes ago
Why Barcelona 'urgently' need Lionel Messi to return
Martin Macdonald
- 31 Dec 2025 11:01 CST
- 6 min read
Nieuws
Barcelona presidential candidate Marc Ciria says it is imperative that the club brings back Lionel Messi in some capacity.
While at the Camp Nou, the Argentine developed into, many would argue, the greatest footballer in history. However, he eventually left the club under a cloud as the Catalan giants couldn't afford to register him as a squad player due to La Liga's salary cap and their ongoing financial problems.
Messi never wanted to leave and cried upon his departure to Paris Saint-Germain.
He has since moved to the MLS where he is undoubtedly the best player in the league and recently led Inter Miami to their first ever MLS Cup.
Before the MLS Cup Playoffs, it was announced that he had signed a new deal with David Beckham's franchise until 2028.
For fans hoping for a romantic Barca return as a player, that news put a spanner in the works.
Ciria, who is going up against current president Joan Laporta as well as others in the upcoming election, spoke again about bringing Messi home.
"Leo Messi is a multinational company, and the truth is that it’s enviable, and we should take note of many things because it has top-level professionals at all levels," he told SPORT.
"So, this isn’t about going out for a barbecue, it’s about proposing a real project in which Leo Messi is a strategic partner for the club. The people around Leo Messi and those who make decisions with him have a project, for Leo Messi to be a strategic partner in all areas where we urgently need to increase revenue."
When asked about the financial impact Messi's return would have, Ciria responded:
"Just one fact: we are generating €994 million in revenue. In the 17-18 season, with what I consider to be the worst board of directors in the club’s history, we generated €990 million. If I apply only inflation and the cost of living, Barça should be generating €1.2 billion in revenue today. Either we realise that Leo Messi is strategic, not just for today, but for the future of the club and to protect and preserve the ownership model, or we are not understanding the world of sport."
Ciria's Barcelona vows
Ciria, a financier, has made three main vows in his presidential bid:
- Ensure Lionel Messi's return
- Give club members a bigger voice
- Sort out the club's extensive financial issues
He explained:
"We are a candidacy to win the next Barça elections, of course we are, but above all we want to preserve the legacy. When things aren't working, you have to change them, you have to start over. We mustn't get caught up in personal interests or entrenched positions.
"Our movement is the only one that has presented real solutions. We must modernize the club with real professionals. We are not some kind of sham. I feel expelled by prohibitive prices, by the games of buying and downloading tickets, by the absence of a dedicated fan zone and the largest sports association movement in the world, the supporters' clubs, because now they don't suit us.
"The debt has grown in recent years, we haven't increased revenue despite inflation, and perhaps because of all this, these are the last elections we'll experience as Barça members."
According to the New York Times, Barcelona are currently in €1.45 billion of debt.
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