The old Camp Nou was guarded by two statues. The first was for Ladislao Kubala, the striker who, thanks to his goals, forced Barcelona to build a bigger house in 1957. The second, for Johan Cruyff, who, first as a player, but above all as a coach, changed the character of Barcelona; There is no better example than the first European Cup in 1992. Now Barcelona are preparing their third for the New Camp Nou. The name does not invite surprise: Lionel Messi. What is striking is the moment. After the Argentine shocked Barcelona fans, but above all Joan Laporta’s management, after sneaking into the Nou Camp under construction last Monday, the Barça president prepared a response: “We are working on a statue for Messi.”
On the pitch Messi improvises like few others; Outside of it, its methodical character predominates. Calculate, measure, almost never act on impulse. Not when he accused Conmebol of corruption in the 2019 Copa América, nor when he said the now famous “Go ahead, stupid” to Dutchman Wout Weghorst at the World Cup in Qatar. Messi knew he had to do it maradoniar his figure to connect with an Argentine fan who for years looked at him with suspicion.
Nor was the political gesture of showing up at Camp Nou on Sunday evening without anyone knowing about posting it on Instagram the following day a coincidence: “Last night I returned to a place that I miss with my soul. A place where I was immensely happy, where you made me feel a thousand times the happiest person in the world. I hope that one day I can return, and not just to greet you as a player, as I have never been able to do…”, he wrote.
Messi knew he would oust Laporta. And indeed he did. The president’s first reaction was distance: “I don’t regret what happened. Barça is above everything,” he told Catalunya Ràdio referring to the summer of 2021, when he allowed the Argentine to leave two days after signing a contract agreed with his entourage. The second reaction was more conciliatory: “Messi will be linked to Barça. His doors are open. He deserves the best tribute. He should have a statue in Spotify’s Camp Nou, like Cruijff and Kubala. We talked about it in the board of directors and we are working on it. When we have the project and the time is right, we will raise it.”
Since 2021 Laporta has been looking for a rapprochement with the 10. He hasn’t found the formula yet. Neither the tribute match nor the statue seem sufficient to seduce Messi.
