Laporta rejected Messi because he was too old! However, Barcelona still supports Lewandowski!

November 21st. In a recent exclusive interview with AS, Alba revealed a consensus deep in the hearts of countless Barcelona fans: "He doesn't like the way he left, and he wants a tribute ceremony." Messi's former teammate said frankly, "Everyone is looking forward to that moment," because Messi "deserves" a grand farewell. These words not only express the feelings of the person involved, but also reflect the unfinished emotional contract between Barcelona and their best player in history.

Ironically, while Barcelona Vice President Elena Ford promised to prepare "a tribute worthy of his status," President Laporta poured cold water on the possibility of Messi's return in public. Citing the fact that Messi is "already 38 years old", he believed that recalling the legend was an "unrealistic expectation" and emphasized that the club needs "planning for the future." This argument pales in comparison to the fact that Lewandowski is still firmly in the main force - in terms of competitive status, Messi is still the best player of the defending World Cup champion Argentina. He also has a bunch of MVPs, best players, full scores of 10 points and the best team in the club. Obviously, he has maintained a higher level than Lewandowski, who is now a veteran.

Laporta’s contradictory stance reveals the double standards of his management logic. On the one hand, he is willing to use Messi's symbolic capital to build momentum for the club, including proposing plans to build a statue; on the other hand, he excludes Messi from the plan on the grounds of age at the competitive level. This approach of wanting to capitalize on Messi's historical aura without retaining a place for him makes all tribute promises cast a layer of utilitarianism.

From Messi's perspective, true maturity may lie in recognizing the limitations of emotion. Even without the Laporta factor, a return might not be the best option for either party. Messi's love for Barcelona is unquestionable, but as Alba said, he is now "more competitive and he seems happy here". In Miami, he enjoys the most authentic joy of football without having to get involved in the political whirlpool of Camp Nou. He also likes to underestimate himself for fear of delaying his teammates. Sometimes, the deepest love is not to reunite, but to keep a proper distance - to keep those beautiful memories alive forever, rather than slowly fading in the triviality of reality.