Messi deserves farewell like Busquets and Alba, says Xavi amid PSG star's Barcelona comeback rumours
FC Barcelona said goodbye to their legendary players Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba on Sunday; as a result, manager Xavi Hernandez wants to say goodbye to club legend Lionel Messi correctly and not in the manner that he left in 2021.
FollowAfter saying goodbye to iconic players Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, FC Barcelona wishes to bid Lionel Messi a proper farewell rather than the way he did in 2021. Following Sunday's 3-0 victory over Mallorca at Camp Nou for the Catalan team, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez spoke with the media and stated that the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star merits the same respect as Alba and Busquets.
For the Barcelona players, staff, and supporters, Sunday night was a momentous occasion as they said goodbye to two legends in Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, as well as to Spotify Camp Nou as we know it. The Culers gave Alba and Busquets a rousing sendoff at the iconic stadium, and Xavi also had high praise for the seasoned pair following the match.
“A feeling of happiness on the one hand for all the objectives achieved, for the pace of play and the victory, and on the other for two very emotional farewells of two legends who deserved it. They are the best I have ever seen in their positions and we will miss them. They have been exemplary, their involvement has been spectacular," said Xavi after the win over Mallorca.
“I’ve told them that they are lucky because not everyone can say goodbye to Camp Nou like that. I experienced it too, even more so because I left with a treble. To have people recognise your work is priceless," the 43-year-old Barca boss added.
Naturally, the conversation turned to Messi, who left the club in 2021 without having the opportunity to bid Camp Nou farewell. Xavi also expressed his hope that the Argentine will return for another stay and receive a decent send-off from the team amid rumours of a return to Barcelona this summer.
“Messi too deserves a farewell like this, I think we all agree on that, let’s see. We all love Messi, but that doesn’t mean he will come. He’s the best in history and in Barca, it depends a lot on what he wants to do,” he said.
Messi has one more Ligue 1 contest before he enters free agency, with his contract expiring on June 30. After that, the 2022 FIFA World Cup champion will probably consider his choices, with Barcelona making every effort to get the star back.
La Liga is impeding a potential reconciliation between the two parties since they need to approve the compensation Barcelona has offered. The upcoming weeks should reveal whether Messi ultimately receives the same send-off as Busquets and Alba.
