The President of LaLiga, Javier Tebas, has officially dismissed assertions that the Spanish top flight had approved a sensational return for Lionel Messi to Barcelona in 2023. Speaking during an appearance on the RTVE sports program Estudio Estadio, Tebas sought to provide clarity on the league’s stance, contradicting recent high-profile claims regarding the aborted transfer.
Tebas’s remarks come in the wake of a provocative interview by former Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez, who suggested that the league had given the “green light” for the move following Messi’s 2022 World Cup victory. Xavi further alleged that the deal was primarily obstructed by Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, who supposedly feared the financial and structural impact of the Argentine’s homecoming. However, the LaLiga chief firmly contested this version of events, maintaining that no such authorization was ever granted by the league’s governing body.
Addressing the controversy directly, Tebas stated:
“La Liga did not authorise anything regarding Leo Messi’s return to Barcelona in 2023.”
The administrative history between Messi and the Catalan club remains a point of significant debate. In August 2021, Laporta oversaw Messi’s departure after a failure to reach a contract extension, leading the legendary forward to join Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent. Following his tenure in France, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner eventually transitioned to Major League Soccer with Inter Miami.
By refuting the idea that a regulatory pathway had been cleared, Tebas has redirected the focus back toward the stringent financial fair play hurdles that continue to define Barcelona’s recruitment capabilities. The intervention underscores the ongoing tension between the club’s sporting ambitions and the economic realities enforced by the Spanish league.
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