Barcelona president Joan Laporta has comprehensively ruled out the idea of renaming the Camp Nou after Lionel Messi.
The subject came up after Messi took some pictures at the stadium during its rebuild while traveling through Barcelona with Argentina.
The gesture was seen as a snub to Laporta, who played his part in Messi’s 2021 departure to PSG.
Talk has since been about how the club will finally make a tribute to their greatest-ever player, but Laporta has made it clear a rebranding won’t be happening.
“We haven’t decided yet. We haven’t heard anything about him accepting the statue,” he said.
“We have other priorities. We’ll consider the tribute when Camp Nou is completely finished.
“We discussed the possibility of naming the stadium after him at the board meeting. We don’t think it’s appropriate. The stadium will be the Spotify Camp Nou, which is FC Barcelona’s stadium.”
Asked further about his relationship with Messi, he added: “People understand each other by talking.
“We’ve thought about giving him the most beautiful tribute ever given, and a statue alongside players who have made history: Kubala, Cruyff, and Messi.
“He defined an era and is the best player in history and in Barça’s history. I’m not going to fuel controversies or speculation about things that aren’t realistic. Everyone is entitled to their opinions.
“Leo will always be in the collective memory of Barça fans. Leo has a contract with a football club. The tribute has to take place at a time when we can truly thank him for everything he’s done for Barça.
“A tribute with a packed Camp Nou, with 105,000 people, could be truly special.”
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