Lionel Messi’s 2023 return to Barcelona: Did La Liga give green light or not? Javier Tebas breaks silence on Joan Laporta vs. Xavi feud ahead of club elections
The debate surrounding Lionel Messi and his failed return to Barcelona in 2023 has resurfaced with new intensity ahead of the club’s presidential elections. In recent days, Javier Tebas has broken his silence regarding the growing conflict between Joan Laporta and Xavi Hernandez, a dispute that has reignited questions about why the Argentine icon never made his long-awaited return to the Catalan club.
The controversy has divided key figures within the Barcelona hierarchy and Spanish soccer itself. Former club officials, current executives, and league authorities are now presenting conflicting versions of what really happened behind the scenes during the attempted reunion between Messi and the club where he built his legendary career. With elections approaching and emotions running high among supporters, the debate has evolved from a simple transfer story into a political battle within the Blaugrana’s leadership.
The latest twist in the saga emerged when former Barcelona sporting director Mateu Alemany publicly supported the claims made by Xavi regarding the attempted transfer. Alemany, who worked at Barcelona between 2021 and 2023 and now operates within the structure of Atletico Madrid, stated that the former Barcelona coach’s version of events was accurate.
According to him, club officials believed they had already received approval for the move. “Xavi is right, they told us they had it [approval from La Liga],” Alemany explained. Xavi had previously ignited the controversy by suggesting that Messi’s return to Barcelona was close to being finalized before it unexpectedly collapsed. The former coach implied that internal decisions within the club ultimately prevented the deal from happening.
What did Javier Tebas say?
Amid the escalating debate, La Liga president Javier Tebas stepped forward to directly address the claims. In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Tebas categorically rejected the idea that the league had authorized Barcelona to complete the signing. “La Liga never had that ‘yes,’ and nobody had ever asked us for it,” Tebas said.
He further explained that the league could not have approved the operation because it lacked key financial information regarding the potential deal. “It was impossible to give approval when we didn’t even know what he would earn. Moreover, applying the regulations, the salary level assigned to him would have made it impossible.”
According to him, Barcelona never formally approached La Liga to begin the process of registering Messi under the competition’s strict financial fair-play rules. “Nobody from Barcelona even asked about Messi’s situation in 2023 — nobody made any inquiry,” he added. His comments strongly contradict both Xavi’s claims and Alemany’s support of that narrative.
Political tension ahead of Barcelona elections
The Messi controversy has now become a central issue in the club’s presidential race, scheduled for March 15. Presidential candidate Víctor Font, who has previously aligned himself with Xavi’s vision, has called for transparency regarding what truly happened during the attempted signing.
Font argued that Barcelona members deserve clarity before casting their votes. “I think Messi won’t speak out between now and Sunday, but I hope he will,” Font said. “Explain the truth – about his departure from the club and his attempt to return in 2023 – so that the members will not vote deceived.”