Joan Laporta used Barcelona's general assembly of delegates to send a message to Lionel Messi.
Speaking in a tone of clear satisfaction, the Catalan club's president confirmed that Barcelona have not given up on the idea of giving Messi, the greatest player in their history, the send-off he deserves.
Sport newspaper carried Laporta's remarks, revealing that Barcelona have already told Messi of their wish to organise a tribute event in his honour. They have even pencilled in a date: once the new stadium is finished.
Laporta said: "We told Messi that we would like to hold a tribute for him after the stadium is completed, with the attendance of nearly 105,000 spectators."
The final call, he stressed, rests with the Argentine star. "We will hold the tribute for him when the stadium has been completed, as long as he wants that," he added.
Laporta also touched on the prospect of Messi pulling on the Barcelona shirt once again.
"There was a possibility of playing an additional season with us, but that did not happen because he made another decision," he explained, without going into further detail about the period he was referring to.
Those words reopen a wound that still runs deep for a large section of the Barcelona support. Messi left in the summer of 2021 without the on-pitch farewell his years of service had earned him.
Even so, Laporta was quick to smooth over any tension and underline the club's good intentions towards their former captain. "We would be very happy to hold a tribute for him. I hope to see him soon," he said.
The president also spoke about Jorge Messi, the player's father and agent, who died on 8 August in Rosario at the age of 68.
"My deepest condolences and remembrance for his father, that exceptional person," Laporta said.
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