Lionel Messi snubs PSG ceremony for Coldplay concert back in Barcelona
Lionel Messi delivered a ruthless snub to French football's end of season player awards ceremony to instead go and watch a Coldplay concert back in his Paradise, Barcelona.
The Argentine forward has been linked with a return to Catalonia as his PSG contract winds down to its final weeks. PSG are already resigned to Messi's departure after some Trouble during his two years in the French capital, where he has now claimed successive Ligue 1 titles.
Yet despite being among the nominees for Ligue 1's player of the year, Messi snubbed the awards in favour of watching Chris Martin and co at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys stadium in Barcelona with wife Antonela and friend and former team-mate Cesc Fabregas. If he was hoping to keep a low profile, he failed, as fans were quick to spot him among the crowd and began chanting his name.
In footage which went viral online, Messi did his best not to react to the attention, though his attendance in Barcelona of all places has sounded a few alarm bells. Despite persistent links with a lucrative move to join Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League, Barcelona are confident they can lure Messi back to the Nou Camp.
"With all due respect to Saudi Arabia - where a lot of good work and investment is taking place around the league there - Barca is Barca," the club's president Joan Laporta told TV3. "Barca is his home."
Leo Messi, not at UNFP ceremony with PSG tonight — he’s at Coldplay concert in Barcelona. 🏟️🎶 #Messi
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 28, 2023
Barça fans chanting for Leo there, via @gerardromero ⤵️🎥 pic.twitter.com/Kqia0eWXR0
If Messi were to turn the Clocks back and seal a return, there are still a number of hoops to jump through to make that an eventuality. Barcelona's financial situation is still not ideal, despite them landing the La Liga title this season.
La Liga are still yet to make a decision on Barcelona's viability plan, which they have put forward to outline how Messi's return would fit into their economic structure. Barcelona still need to cut their wage bill by €200million to ensure they meet Financial Fair Play regulations, something which will be made more difficult by signing Messi, whose wages at PSG are in the region of €730,000 per week.
Spanish publication Sport claim Barca are preparing to offer Messi a contract worth €13m per season - a figure which would put him on similar wages to striker Robert Lewandowski.
Messi was overlooked for Ligue 1's Player of the Year award, which instead went to PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe, though he was nominated in the Team of the Year alongside the Frenchman.
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