Barcelona’s 125th anniversary in chaos as Lionel Messi’s role in celebration adds to leadership tensions

FC Barcelona’s leadership is grappling with yet another challenge, this time surrounding the club’s 125th-anniversary celebrations and the potential involvement of Lionel Messi, Soccernet.football reports.

Amid ongoing economic issues, delays in the reopening of the Camp Nou, and increasing internal unrest, Messi’s role in the celebration is causing controversy.

The Catalan club has been planning commemorative events for the November 29th anniversary, originally hoping to coincide with the reopening of the Camp Nou.

However, due to delays, the stadium will not be ready until at least January or February 2025, according to a report by FootMercato.

This has complicated Barça’s plans, and the club is now considering sending a special invitation to Messi, hoping to have the legendary player participate in the gala alongside other iconic figures from the club’s history.

However, Messi’s absence remains a real possibility, and this has sparked internal tension.

Messi and club president Joan Laporta are not on good terms after the circumstances that led to Messi’s departure in 2021, where he believed he could extend his contract. Many within the club worry that the strained relationship between the two could overshadow the anniversary event.

Opposition members, including figures like Víctor Font, see Messi’s possible absence as another opportunity to criticise Laporta’s management.

If Messi declines the invitation, it could deepen the crisis within the Catalan leadership, which is already facing scrutiny over the club’s economic situation and the delayed reopening of the iconic stadium.