BARCELONA, Spain: Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski would love Lionel Messi to return to the Catalan club from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, he said on Tuesday.
The 35-year-old Argentine World Cup winner left Barca in 2021 when the club could not afford to renew his contract and his PSG deal expires in June.
Amid whistles from PSG supporters who see Messi as a symbol of the club’s mistakes in chasing star signings instead of building a competitive team, Barcelona are openly courting the forward.
“Messi belongs to Barca and if he returns it would be something incredible,” said Lewandowski.
“We know that his place is here, in Barcelona. I don’t know what will happen, but I hope that next season we can play together.”
Messi is the club’s all-time top goalscorer and many consider him the best player in the history of football.
The playmaker scored a record 672 goals in 778 matches for Barcelona, winning 35 trophies, after joining the club at 13-years-old and developing at their feted La Masia youth academy.
Barcelona fans have chanted Messi’s name in the 10th minute — representing his former Barca shirt number — in their last two matches, including a 0-0 draw against Girona on Monday in La Liga.
“Leo generates excitement, they have chanted his name in two games now, we’ll see what happens,” said Barca coach Xavi Hernandez after the derby clash.
Lewandowski, top scorer in Spain, could not find the net for the league leaders against Girona and, speaking at a charity event, said he had been carrying an injury.
“I took a blow from (Real Madrid defender Eder) Militao in the game against Madrid and I could not walk,” added Lewandowski, referring to Barcelona’s 4-0 thrashing by Los Blancos in the Copa del Rey last week.
“On the pitch I have to play better but that knock from Militao left my body in a bad way.”
I hope to play with Messi next season at Barca: Lewandowski
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I hope to play with Messi next season at Barca: Lewandowski
- The 35-year-old Argentine World Cup winner left Barca in 2021
- "Messi belongs to Barca and if he returns it would be something incredible," said Lewandowski
Nigeria’s Chukwueze calls for AFCON to get same respect as World Cup
- “Everybody wants to play in AFCON. It’s one of the best competitions in the world,” Chukwueze told On Sports TV
Nigeria forward Samuel Chukwueze believes the Africa Cup of Nations should be given the same level of respect as the World Cup and the European Championship following controversy over the timing of the tournament in Morocco.
Initially scheduled to take place in the summer, this year’s AFCON was scheduled for December 21-January 18, depriving leading European clubs of key players participating in it at a crucial stage of the domestic season. “Everybody wants to play in AFCON. It’s one of the best competitions in the world,” Chukwueze told On Sports TV. “You have to respect the AFCON the same way you respect the European Championship or World Cup.”
The Fulham winger will miss six games for his club if Nigeria reach the round of 16.
“We understand they scheduled it at the wrong time of the year, but when it’s important, if you get recalled you have to go,” he said. “You don’t have any choice, your club can’t stop you and no one should say anything bad about the AFCON. Yes, they put it at the wrong time, but saying it’s not a good competition or a great competition is unacceptable.”
Chukwueze helped Nigeria secure an opening 2-1 win over Tanzania in Group C ahead of their second game against Tunisia on Saturday.
