Barcelona Presidential Hopeful Drops Bombshell Promise About Lionel Messi's Return
Barcelona presidential hopeful Marc Ciria considers club icon Lionel Messi as a guaranteed method to increase earnings, regardless of whether the Argentinian returns to Catalonia as an active player or merely as a "business ally."
Economic difficulties have plagued the 28-time La Liga winners in recent seasons, making it virtually impossible to secure major signings or settle existing debts. Barcelona can hardly register new players to comply with the league's 1:1 financial regulation without requiring intervention from Spanish courts.
The organization has implemented various strategies to address its monetary challenges, including the sale of premium seating at the refurbished Camp Nou and player departures during the transfer window. However, Ciria believes the Catalans are overlooking their greatest financial prospect: Messi.
"Leo Messi represents a global enterprise, and honestly, it's remarkable, and we should learn from many aspects because it employs elite professionals across all departments," stated the candidate, who will participate in the club's 2026 elections, speaking to SPORT.
"The individuals surrounding Leo Messi and those making decisions alongside him have a vision, for Leo Messi to become a business partner across all sectors where we desperately need to boost income.
"Consider this single statistic: we are producing €994 million [$1.17 billion] in earnings. During the 2017–18 campaign, under what I believe was the most incompetent leadership in the club's existence, we produced €990 million.
"If I factor in just inflation and living expenses, Barça should be producing €1.2 billion in earnings currently. Either we recognize that Leo Messi is crucial, not merely for the present, but for the club's future and to safeguard our ownership structure, or we fail to comprehend modern sports business."
Ciria Shares Opinion on Potential Messi Barcelona Comeback
Naturally, the aspiration for many across Catalonia is for Barcelona to welcome Messi back as more than simply a commercial partner. The eight-time Ballon d'Or recipient's recent appearance at Camp Nou during the November international window only intensified those hopes.
Messi's short visit to the legendary venue had supporters begging for him to eventually conclude his career at the institution where he achieved greatness.
Ciria offered his perspective on the likelihood when questioned by SPORT about whether the attacker will ever return to Barcelona as a player. "That decision will be made by the sporting leadership alongside him, not by Marc Ciria. This transforms the situation.
"I would be thrilled for Leo Messi to bid farewell at each venue as a Barcelona player, but if that's not possible, then as an organizational and marketing figure who will provide us the resources we require."
One of the primary obstacles to bringing Messi back to Camp Nou is his agreement with the recently crowned MLS champions, Inter Miami. The 38-year-old has committed to remaining in south Florida until the 2028 season.