Having been appointed as the Sporting Director at FC Barcelona, Deco has become one of the most important influential individuals in the new organizational hierarchy at the Catalan club.
After Alemany’s departure, the Portuguese is now the man to handle all the important sporting files at Barcelona, including those related to new arrivals, current players, and even matters related to former players.
Deco on Messi’s farewell
It was one of these former Barcelona players who became the highlight of Deco’s latest statements to the media, which have been reported by SPORT. The Sporting Director commented on the long-debated topic of whether Lionel Messi will have a farewell match at the Camp Nou:
“I think there will be a farewell match, but maybe in the new stadium when it’s ready. He will always be the greatest idol in the club’s history. The club had great idols, like Cruyff, and Ronaldo, but he is perhaps the greatest of all.”
“He will definitely play a farewell match at Barcelona, but when it will be, we don’t know. He is playing, and hopefully, he will play for more years, because people who love football, those who do, will be happy to see him happy.”
Fans await Messi’s return to Barcelona
As Deco mentioned, there is no certainty about the date when Barcelona will be able to hold this farewell for Messi. One possible time for this farewell could be in November 2024, when the first team returns to Camp Nou on the club’s 125th anniversary. Another option could be for the farewell to take place in 2026 when the stadium is set to be officially renovated.
The topic of Messi’s farewell has been frequently taken up at Barcelona in recent times. Messi and Barcelona parted ways on not the most amicable terms, and a large part of the fanbase was disappointed with how the club had allowed one of their biggest legends to leave without a proper farewell.
Fans have been waiting for a reunion with Messi ever since his departure to PSG. There were rumors of a possible return in the last summer window, but the Argentine decided to join Inter Miami and play for a team with lesser pressure than Barcelona.
