FC Barcelona President Laporta Confirms Lionel Messi Return (VIDEO)

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed to fans that Lionel Messi will return to the club, as seen in a video uploaded to social media by Carrusel Deportivo.

Laporta was in the stands at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez on Sunday where his men’s first team drew 0-0 with hosts Getafe.

The president interacted with fans in the stands of the stadium in the Spanish capital Madrid and answered a set of quickfire questions.

When asked about the ‘Caso Negreira’ referee committee payments scandal, Laporta told them: “Now, now you’ll see”.

On Monday morning at the 1899 Auditorium at Camp Nou, Laporta is set to field questions from the media and explain the case which has seen Barca charged for “continued corruption”.

Barca deny wrongdoing, and have claimed through Laporta that each payment to Former Vice President of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira made between 2001 and 2018 can be explained for honest consulting work.

Asked if he was “calm about tomorrow”, Laporta replied: “And so much”.

The response that has set most tongues wagging however came from when it was put to Laporta if Messi will return to Barca. “Si”, the president offered, which is pretty resounding and self-explanatory.

Messi, who left Barca in tears on Laporta’s watch as the club’s all-time greatest goalscorer and appearances leader in 2021, is a free agent on June 30 when he can flee Paris Saint Germain with no strings attached.

Laporta’s number two and vice president Rafa Yuste recently confirmed that talks are underway with the Messi camp, but Laporta and sporting director Mateu Alemany have had to draw up a “viability plan” for La Liga which was presented at the end of March, according to Gerard Romero.

Transfer market expert Romero also reported that the plan still wasn’t enough to convince the Spanish top flight president Javier Tebas that Barca can make the numbers work, amid being told they need to shave €200 million ($220 million) from the wage bill.

Even so, Tebas believes that Messi has already agreed to join Barca, according to Romero, which perhaps explains why Laporta is telling fans that the Prodigal Son will return to don Blaugrana.