The Two Barcelona Legends Who Almost Joined Lionel Messi in Epic Return
Former Barcelona manager Xavi Hernández revealed he tried to bring back Neymar and Pedro along with Lionel Messi during his stint at the helm of his former club.
The Spaniard, who previously claimed Barcelona president Joan Laporta blew up a “done deal” to bring Messi back to the Camp Nou ahead of the 2023–24 season, is now adding new layers—and players—to his story, which already sparked an explosive war of words between the World Cup winner and Laporta.
“I managed to bring back Dani Alves and tried to bring back Neymar, Pedro and Messi when I was coach,” Xavi said in an interview with Brazilian football icon Romário.
“Pedro and Neymar couldn’t be brought back because of the financial situation, and Messi because the current Barça president didn’t want him. There was an opportunity with Neymar, but it didn’t happen either. It didn’t happen because of our very difficult financial situation. Financial Fair Play was severely limiting us, and then there were the infamous salaries.”
The Catalans’ financial woes, which are still present today, combined with their trophyless 2019–20 season had Barcelona “at its lowest point in history,” according to Xavi, who took over in Nov. 2021 and eventually helped his former club win two trophies.
Who knows the heights Barcelona could have reached had Xavi’s plans to bring back Messi, Neymar and Pedro come to fruition. But instead of focusing on stars of the past, the club began building for the future.
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Xavi Reflects on Building Much of Barcelona’s Current Squad
Hansi Flick gets much of the credit for leading Barcelona back to dominant ways in Spain, and rightfully so. The German boss won a domestic treble in his debut season on the touchline and is steering his men to a successful La Liga title defense.
Yet many of the stars who have taken center stage during Flick’s reign, like Raphinha, Pedri and Lamine Yamal, came into their own during the Xavi era, a fact the Spaniard takes immense pride in.
“We left a legacy of young players who are now the backbone of this team,” Xavi said. “We laid a good foundation that Flick, with his excellent work, is now building on.
“I signed Raphinha. I told the club to sign him. I already wanted him when I was in Portugal. I gave him a lot of confidence. If he didn’t perform, I would have let him go. I had a conversation with him because he was frustrated. I told him to stay calm, that he was five years old, and now he’s really blossomed. He’s a leader.”
As for Yamal, Xavi had the highest praise for the teenager. “Yamal can be compared to Messi. He is one of the chosen ones; everything depends on him, his mentality, and his desire to make history. He can be the best in the world. He is already among them.”
Xavi Once Again Hits Out at Laporta Over Messi’s Failed Return
Xavi made sure to reiterate that he did everything he could to bring Messi back to Barcelona after the 2022 World Cup.
“Messi was the best. There will never be anyone better than him,” the 46-year-old said. “He is a very humble and hardworking person. I saw it when I was 16; he was completely different.
“I have a very good relationship with him. I tried to sign him for Barça. I spoke with him for five months; everything was ready, but the current president of Barça said no.”
The statement echoes his previous claim: “The president started negotiating the contract with Leo’s father, and we had La Liga’s approval, but it was the president who threw everything out.”
Laporta denied the allegations. Regardless of the back-and-forth battle between the two, the outcome saw Messi join Inter Miami after leaving Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent, denying what would have been one of the most significant returns in the sport’s history, both on and off the pitch.
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