The powerful image of Messi exercising his right to vote last Sunday in the Barça elections definitively closed the painful trance of the burofax. In less than seven months, the Argentine has gone from showing his irrevocable will to leave the club, to actively participating in its institutional life. Photography is already in the history of Barça and, above all, it has served to unite the percentage of the social mass that was hurt by the drastic forms of the player, who could not bear one more minute of coexistence with the previous Board of Directors.
To this day, Messi appears to be in full harmony with Barça. His hug with Koeman after the comeback against Sevilla had enormous symbolic value, almost the same as his appearance at the polling stations at Camp Nou, led by his son Thiago. The choice of Laporta has been the perfect icing for the fans to think that his continuity is possible. “He wants Barça, we have to encourage him to continue”, Laporta harangued the fans in his winner's speech on Sunday night. In Paris, however, they still want to see him at PSG next season. According to L'Equipe, the Neymar factor may weigh on the Argentine's decision. Of course, Messi also asked the Brazilian not to leave in 2017 and he turned a deaf ear.
It is easy to guess that after the electoral race, Barçagate and the election of Laporta, Messi's renewal will become the soap opera of next month in Barcelona, especially if it is noticed that in two weeks there is a league break. But Messi is to another thing. A season that threatened ruin has been straightened to the point that his 35th title with Barça is one game away (Cup final against Athletic in La Cartuja) and his eleventh League is still possible (it would be one of Gento's twelve ). Messi is also moving towards his eighth LaLiga top scorer trophy. He already left Zarra behind (6). And if he can win the Cup, he will match Piru Gainza with seven titles. Messi announced at Christmas that he will wait until the end of the season to make a decision. The crack will have to handle well the times of its announcement and its speech so that it does not alter the well-being of the dressing room, one of the keys of the good moment of the Barça. And he sure is in it. Because if the Argentine likes something, it's winning.