The old Camp Nou was guarded by two statues. The first was for forward Ladislao Kubala, whose goals in 1957 caused Barcelona to build a big house. The second was for Johan Cruyff, who changed the character of Barcelona, first as a player, but essentially as a coach. There is no better example than the first European Cup in 1992. Barcelona are currently preparing for their third cup match at the new Camp Nou. The name is not surprising: Lionel Messi. What is surprising is that moment. After the Argentine player sneaked into the Nou Camp under construction last Monday, shocking Barcelona fans and especially Joan Laporta’s board, Barça’s president prepared a response: “We are building a statue of Messi.”
On the field, Messi improvises like most people. Other than that, his methodical personality prevails. Calculates, measures, and rarely acts impulsively. Not when he accused Conmebol of corruption at the 2019 Copa America, or when he famously told Dutch player Wout Weghorst to “go away, you idiot” at the Qatar World Cup. Messi knew he had to do it Maladonia His appearance was a way to connect with Argentine fans who had long viewed him with suspicion.
His political move, appearing on Sunday night at the Camp Nou without anyone knowing that he would be published on Instagram the next day, was no coincidence. “Last night, with all my soul, I returned to a familiar place. A place where I was so happy, a place where you made me feel a thousand times more like the happiest person in the world. I hope that I can go back someday, and not just to say goodbye as a player, which I never could have…” he wrote.
Messi knew to get rid of Laporta. And indeed he did. The president’s first reaction was distance. “I don’t regret what happened. Barça is more important than anything,” he told Radio Catalunya, referring to the summer of 2021, when he allowed the Argentine to leave the club two days after signing a contract agreed with his entourage. The second response was more conciliatory. “Messi will be linked with Barça. His door is open. He deserves the highest praise. Like Cruyff and Kubala, he should have a statue at the Spotify Camp Nou. We have discussed it in the board and are working on it now. Once the design is decided and the right time comes, we will erect it.”
Since 2021, Laporta has sought relationships with 10 teams, but the formula has not yet been found. It seems neither the memorial match nor the statue will be enough to tempt Messi.
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