I just hope that one day we can say goodbye to him as he deserves: Pep Guardiola on Messis Barca farewell
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said Lionel Messi will return to his former club Barcelona for the 'send-off he deserves'. 'I'm a Barcelona fan, I've got my tickets [at Camp Nou], and I just hope that one day we can say goodbye to him as he deserves. He's the greatest player of all time. In the last 12 years or so, Barcelona had a "boom" and that wouldn't have been possible without him. And I'm not talking about numbers, but rather his involvement in the play, his beauty, his efficiency, everything," Guardiola told ESPN: According to several media reports, Messi, who joined Paris Saint Germain (PSG) in 2021, is likely to be honoured by his former club. According to the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona is preparing a tribute match with a view to 2024, an event that was left pending after the controversial departure of the Argentine in June 2021, when he was released and joined the PSG. According to the report, the Catalans can pay tribute to Messi for the 2024-25 season when the team returns to the Camp Nou with the works already completed and coinciding with the 125th anniversary of the club. The Man City boss also added, "I hope the day comes when I'm in my seat [at Camp Nou] and I can stand up and applaud, and say goodbye to Leo as he deserves. And I know that Joan [Laporta] is going to try, and Leo too, and he and his family will receive all the love that Barcelona fans have for him, with all the gratitude and respect for what he did for the club." Meanwhile, Messi returned to training Monday with his Paris Saint-Germain teammates after the club lifted his suspension. The French team announced Messi's return on its website, posting a picture of the former Barcelona player running with a ball at the club's training ground. PSG did not officially say whether Messi's disciplinary punishment had been revoked, but a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that the Argentina star resumed his training after the suspension was lifted.
Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 2:54 am