Barcelona fans clamour for Lionel Messi’s return as club celebrates La Liga title

With the Spanish league title in hand, Barcelona’s fans quickly moved on to what they want next The return of their all-time favourite player.

“Messi Messi Messi” resounded at Camp Nou — in minute 10 for Lionel Messi’s old No. 10 shirt — during Saturday’s game against Real Sociedad that ended with a rare 2-1 loss to the Basquevisitors.

The loss did little to dampen the festive atmosphere after the final whistle when Sergio Busquets as team captain received the Spanish league trophy from federation president Luis Rubiales and presented it to the crowd with teammates.

It was Busquets’ 32nd and last title before the midfielder leaves Barcelona this summer.

Last week, Barcelona clinched their first major title since Messi had to leave due to the club’s wretched financial situation two years ago and join PSG.

But with Messi set to leave Paris this summer, Barcelona’s fans are hoping — perhaps naively considering the likely blockbuster offer he could be dangled from Saudi Arabia — that the superstar will want to come back to the club he joined when he was 13.

Messi has a commercial contract with Saudi Arabia to promote tourism. He made a recent trip to the energy-rich kingdom where his former La Liga rival Cristiano Ronaldo is playing on a lucrative contract that media reports put at a world-record 200ma year.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has contributed to the rising expectations of the club’s supporters, even while insisting that the debt-ridden Spanish club cannot compete when it comes to wages.

Instead, he hopes the legacy of 35 titles, including four European Cups, Messi won with Barcelona will do the trick.