Lionel Messi will ‘do the impossible’ to return to Barcelona – Pep Guardiola

 

Former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola feels Lionel Messi will do the impossible if he returns to the club. Messi’s current contract with PSG Saint-Germain will come to an end at the completion of the ongoing season and it will be interesting to note his decision.

Messi was recently linked with Saudi Pro League’s club Al-Hilal but his father and agent Jorge Messi went to deny such reports. Sources had earlier reported that Messi is all set to leave the Paris-based club.

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi was forced to leave Barcelona in August 2021 due to the financial regulation of the LA Liga. Messi played 778 matches for Barcelona and scored 672 goals and provided 288 assists in his glorious career. Furthermore, the legendary player won 34 trophies with the club.

The talisman spent 17 years at Blaugrana and played an instrumental role in taking the club to new heights as he grew as a player.

“I’m a Barcelona fan, I’ve got my tickets [at Camp Nou], and I just hope that one day we can say goodbye to him as he deserves,” Guardiola told ESPN. “He’s the greatest player of all time.

“In the last 12 years or so, Barcelona had a ‘boom’ and that wouldn’t have been possible without him. And I’m not talking about numbers, but rather his involvement in the play, his beauty, his efficiency, his efficiency, everything.”

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola coached Messi for four years from 2008 to 2012 in which Barcelona won three La Liga titles and two Champions League. The Spaniard added that Messi played a huge role in taking the Catalan club to new heights and deserves a huge farewell at Camp Nou.

“I never would have thought that it would end as it did,” Guardiola added. “I’m convinced what president [Joan] Laporta loves Leo, and since he left, he has said [Messi] deserves to have a farewell for the important figure that he is.

“Leo helped our club [Barcelona] become much greater than when he arrived. When a person is so big, you have to say goodbye in the right way. He left because of very difficult financial circumstances, for thousands of reasons that I’m not going to get into.”

Messi will return from suspension for PSG and he will be part of Saturday’s match against AC Ajaccio.