Xavi accused of lying about Messi's return to Barcelona

Xavi's revelations about the plan to bring Lionel Messi back to Barcelona immediately sparked controversy when a figure well-versed in La Liga's internal affairs spoke out.

Following Xavi Hernandez's recent shocking interview, the story of Lionel Messi almost returning to FC Barcelona in 2023 continues to generate intense debate. An influential figure in Spanish football media publicly refuted the version presented by the former Barcelona coach.

That figure is Jaume Roures, who has long been involved in producing La Liga matches through the company Mediapro. Speaking on the program Matins de TV3, Roures asserted that the story Xavi told about La Liga's role in the Messi deal is completely inaccurate.

He said: “According to what I know, the story involving La Liga and Messi is not true, definitely. I was involved when Messi left, and La Liga's role was not to want him to leave... but La Liga agreeing to a theoretical contract in 2023 is certainly not true.” According to Roures, La Liga never "gave the green light" or pre-approved the plan for Messi to return to Barcelona, contrary to what Xavi implied in the interview.

Roures even implicitly criticized Xavi's conduct throughout the whole story. He stated that if he were in a similar situation, he would choose to withdraw rather than continue pursuing the deal: “And incidentally, if that happened to me — that the president said he didn't want that player for personal reasons, I would withdraw out of self-respect.”

Not stopping there, Roures recounted a memory to question Xavi's consistency. He recalled a dinner with President Joan Laporta at the time Ronald Koeman was confirmed to continue coaching Barcelona, when Xavi repeatedly called Laporta.

Roures recounted a notable detail: “I had dinner with Laporta on the day Koeman was confirmed to stay in his position. During that meal, Xavi called Laporta 5 or 6 times, clearly showing his support for Laporta and his stance against Victor Font's faction — which is completely different from what he explained in the interview.”

Previously, in an interview with La Vanguardia, Xavi revealed he had contacted Messi for many months after the Argentine superstar won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina. According to Xavi, Messi very much wanted to return to Barcelona and even exchanges with his father, Jorge Messi, had taken place.

The former Barcelona midfielder asserted the deal was almost finalized professionally before being halted at the last minute. He revealed: “The president himself canceled everything. He said if Leo returned, he would have to 'declare war' and couldn't allow that to happen.”

After the plan collapsed, the relationship between the two Barcelona legends was also affected. Xavi admitted: “Leo once thought I was part of that story. There was a period when we couldn't talk to each other. Fortunately, everything is fine now.”

Ultimately, Messi left Paris Saint-Germain upon contract expiration and joined Inter Miami CF in summer 2023. However, the latest controversies show the story of Messi's "near reunion" with Barcelona likely still has many unresolved hidden aspects.