Coach Xavi can imagine a return of superstar Lionel Messi to FC Barcelona.
“He is the best player in history and in the history of the club. Of course he has the right to have the doors opened for him,” he said one day before the Clásico at leaders Real Madrid on Sunday (9 p.m. / DAZN).
As long as Xavi is a coach in Barcelona, the six-time world footballer, who switched to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2021, “the doors are open if he wants to come back one day”.
Messi can come anytime “to watch training or to talk to the coach”. At the same time, the Barca coach referred to the Argentine’s contract in Paris.
Messi is having a disappointing season with Paris: in the Champions League, the top club lost 3-1 and 1-0 to Real in the round of 16. The exceptional talent, like team-mate Neymar, was then whistled at by his own fans in the Ligue 1 game against Girondins Bordeaux.
In the summer, Messi left the heavily indebted Catalans after 21 years with an emotional farewell. In La Liga, despite four straight wins, Barca are 15 points behind Los Blancos in third place.