For several days now, media outlets and social networks have been flooded with speculation about a possible return of Lionel Messi to Barcelona. The rumors intensified after Leo’s unexpected visit to the Camp Nou during his trip to Spain with the Argentina national team, and now head coach Hansi Flick has addressed the subject.
During Friday’s press conference, shared by Marca, Flick was asked whether he would like to coach Lionel Messi. “Why not? Why not?” the coach said, surprising the reporters in attendance.
“At the end, Messi is the best footballer of the last ten years around, or more. I always appreciated seeing him play football, it’s unbelievable what he’s doing and, of course, for any team he’s good,” added Hansi, showing the enormous admiration and respect he has for the Argentine forward.
However, toward the end of his answer, Flick made it clear that he does not see a scenario in which he and Messi overlap as player and coach at Barcelona. “The fact is his contract ends in 2028, my contract ends in 2027, so for me it’s not a question,” Hansi explained honestly.
Lionel Messi recently signed a new contract with Inter Miami.
The option Flick didn’t consider regarding Messi
In his response, Hansi Flick made it clear that he rules out the possibility of coaching Messi at Barcelona due to contractual obstacles for both sides. On one hand, Lionel has just signed an extension with Inter Miami through December 2028. On the other, Flick’s own future with the Catalan side has a clear end date in the summer of 2027.
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However, Flick overlooked one possibility that would still fit within those contractual constraints: a short-term return for Messi during Major League Soccer’s offseason, without interrupting his deal with Inter Miami. While uncommon in world soccer, it wouldn’t be unprecedented — other stars such as David Beckham and Thierry Henry have done it before.
Perhaps Flick’s omission wasn’t accidental, but rather a deliberate dismissal of an option he considers unhelpful for his team. Recent reports from El Nacional point to the coach’s supposed stance on this potential move: “Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is strongly against a short-term move to sign Leo Messi on loan, believing such a deal is completely unnecessary.”
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Lionel Messi vs. Hansi Flick
Despite having long careers in European soccer, Lionel Messi has faced a team coached by Hansi Flick only once. It happened in the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League, when Barcelona and Bayern Munich met in the quarterfinals. That edition was unusual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a one-leg format instead of the traditional two matches.
The result was a crushing 8–2 win for the German side, in which Messi played the full 90 minutes but could do little to prevent his team’s elimination. Bayern Munich would then advance decisively all the way to the title — the biggest achievement of Hansi Flick’s coaching career, at least so far.
