FC Barcelona Should Never Take Back ‘Earthly’ Messi Or ‘Sunk And Finished’ Neymar

Ex-FC Barcelona stars Lionel Messi and Neymar cut tragic figures on the Bernabeu pitch against Real Madrid on Wednesday night, as a Karim Benzema hat trick sunk their current employers Paris Saint Germain in just the latest humiliating elimination in the Champions League, which once more saw them throw away a comfortable lead and succumb to an opponent with real continental pedigree.

Though Messi’s exit from the Blaugrana last summer, as a free agent who indeed wanted to stay at Camp Nou but fell victim to Barca’s dire financial predicament which meant he could not be offered a new contract, was not entirely his fault, the pair have found little sympathy from the Catalan press this week.

Reports have circled that PSG’s president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is the chairman of the Qatar Sports Investment group that owns the Ligue 1 giants, is “fed up” with Neymar and is looking to offload his world record $260mn signing snatched away from Barca in the summer of 2017.

This immediately triggers rumors and transfer buzz of a return to Catalonia, but the local media wants the sporting pride and joy of the region to have little to do with the 30-year-old who they see as “sunk and finished”, who has made his bed and must lie in it after choosing riches over legacy.

“Neymar, at thirty, plays like a veteran and has burned his future. He was called to be great and will end up like a broken toy. His bad life and lack of professionalism have ruined his career,” Sport scathe on Sunday.

“The image of him at the Bernabeu was pathetic, only comparable to the cowardice of [Mauricio] Pochettino who was not able to replace him,” they add.

Of Messi, the commonly-held opinion now across both Sport and rival paper Mundo Deportivo is that president Joan Laporta, despite being widely-criticised at the time, was right to let the club’s greatest ever player – who “has become earthly and has spent a few seasons without making a difference in the Champions League” – up sticks and leave.

“When the news of Messi ‘s departure was confirmed last August, it was a bombshell and a trauma at the same time,” Sport write again.

“Leo is still loved and admired for his exceptional track record at Barca, but his absence from the Camp Nou is no longer lamented or criticized in view of his disappointing performance at the Qatari club,” they add. “He bet on petrodollars, he let himself be dazzled by Paris and chose a star club that has not been able to make a soccer team. He dreamed of a stage of glory and titles but the reality is very different, he lives a sports ordeal.”

“Although Leo thinks about it in his dreams, there is no going back,” the outlet continues. “The rumor of a possible return to the Camp Nou is not believed. Barca does not need a decadent Messi. The commitment to young people is firm and seems well focused.

“The return to the past would complicate Xavi’s life and would be short-term,” it is said, with Mundo Deportivo agreeing that the new coach has “changed the dynamics” at the club “due to the absence of counterpower in the locker room”.

“You can’t live on memories,” it is boldly stated. “Neymar offered to return and fortunately the operation was frustrated. Both Leo and Ney gave their best years to Barca and this is unrepeatable,” they finish.

With Messi still tied down to PSG for another year until the summer of 2023, a second chapter at his boyhood outfit as a 36-year-old seems highly unlikely. But the Argentine has expressed interest in forming part of the Camp Nou furniture in something like a director’s role once he has hung his boots up, when you’d guess he’d welcomed with open arms and all forgiven.

As for Neymar, he can only expect a frosty reception by Culers should he ever come face-to-face with them while still plying his trade, though tensions may cool in his post-playing days.