The prospects of Lionel Messi’s return to Barcelona as a player are “unrealistic”, says the Spanish club’s president Joan Laporta.

Laporta’s comments, on Wednesday, came three days after the Argentinian, one of Barcelona’s all-time football greats, returned to the Catalan club on an unannounced visit and expressed his desire to “return one day”.

ance at Barca’s Camp Nou stadium on Sunday night and said he hoped “one day I can return, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to do”.

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, Barca’s record goal scorer (672 goals) and appearance maker (778 caps), left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 after spending 21 years of his illustrious career with Barcelona.

Having won 10 La Liga titles, four Champions League crowns and three Club World Cups with Barca, Messi now plays for Inter Miami.

His shock exit came due to Barcelona’s precarious financial position, which meant the team could not afford to keep him.

Messi shed tears at his final press conference at the club he joined at 13 years of age and where he began his professional career.

“Out of the utmost respect for Messi, the professionals at the club, Barca, and the Barca club members, I believe that now, for me to make speculation that is unrealistic, nor do I think is fair, well, I believe that is not appropriate,” Laporta told Catalunya Radio.

The club president, who was in charge at the time of Messi’s departure, said he did not regret what happened because “Barca is above everything”.