La Liga President Javier Tebas has spoken to the prospect of Lionel Messi returning to Barcelona for the second time in as many weeks, this time in the French media.
Tebas spoke last week after the La Liga Assembly, claiming that he would be content to see Messi return and that it was possibility ahead of the summer transfer window.
Speeaking to RMC Sport, via Sport, Tebas explained that it was complicated for Messi to return.
“At this time, it looks complicated to me. There is still time, but there will have to be a departure of players and a reduction in the wage bill. They will have to be to be able to register Messi. And then there is a piece of information that we don’t know, which is Messi’s salary. There are still many variables.”
He used the situation to take a shot against Messi’s current club, Paris Saint-Germain.
“Barca is not like PSG, which has a gas and money tap which allows them to have such a big salary. You must reduce the wage bill to be able to sign players. It’s like the subway, let them out so they can get in. And people still have to get out of the subway.”
Tebas has been a frequent critic of ‘state clubs’ in recent years, arguing that they should be subject to financial fair play, or that they are not adhering to the current rules in place.
100 years of Wembley Stadium: From Freddie and Our 'Enry to Bobby and Gazza
Wembley Stadium, which celebrates its 100th birthday on Friday, is known as the Venue of Legends, and does precisely what it says on the tin.
From the Matthews final to Bobby Moore lifting the World Cup and Lioness Chloe Kelly celebrating her Euro 2022 winner, heroes have been created for a century under the Twin Towers, and more latterly the stunning 133-foot Arch.
There has been heartbreak too – as penalty-takers Gareth Southgate and Marcus Rashford would testify – but one thing hasn't changed, once you've made an impact at Wembley, it's never forgotten.
As Ricky Villa, scorer of one of Wembley's greatest goals for Spurs against Manchester City in 1981, puts it: 'Sometimes it's though I only played one match!' And that from an Argentine World Cup winner.
Football has been the dominant but not exclusive force at Wembley.
George Best, Kenny Dalglish and Lionel Messi have all scored in European Cup finals. Geoff Hurst unforgettably got three in 1966. Less celebrated figures Jim Montgomery, Bobby Stokes and Roger Osborne became household names overnight after their starring roles in FA Cup finals.
Other sports too benefitted. Heavyweight Henry Cooper will always be remembered for knocking down Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) as will Frank Bruno who won the world title there at the fourth attempt. Clay said Cooper's left hook was so hard, 'my ancestors in Africa felt it.'
Showbiz also got in on the act. Freddie Mercury and Queen gave arguably the greatest live performance ever seen by a band at Live Aid in 1985. Pope John Paul II 'played' Wembley to a packed house in 1982 and Spitting Image made a puppet complete with guitar and sunglasses in tribute.
Most have enjoyed the limelight bestowed by Wembley, but not all. David Barber, FA historian between 1969 and 2016, put together a parade of all living FA Cup-winning captains for the 100th cup final, in 1981.
'Only two didn't make it,' he recalls. 'Billy Bremner (Leeds) was abroad and Billy Bonds (West Ham) didn't want to know. He wasn't interested. In the end, Dick Pym took his place, the Bolton goalkeeper from 1923.'
Few have seen more changes than Barber. 'I started work sitting next to Sir Alf Ramsey. He'd scribble down the England squad for Wembley internationals in pencil and I rang it into the Press Association. By the time I left, squad announcements were huge events with every media outlet invited.'
Some legendary names have experienced both triumph and disaster. Paul Gascoigne scored a worldie free-kick for Spurs in the 1991 FA Cup semi-final and a stunning volley for England against Scotland at Euro 96, celebrating with the Dentist's Chair.
But he also shattered his knee with a rash challenge on Gary Charles in the 1991 FA Cup final.
Likewise, Brian Clough won three League Cups at Wembley (and a fourth in a replay) but was beaten in his only FA Cup final. He also had mishaps there as a sought-after TV pundit. In 1973, he described goalkeeper Jan Tomaszewski as 'a clown' before the Pole made a string of superlative saves to stop England qualifying for the World Cup.
Before the 1980 FA Cup final, he said about West Ham's Trevor Brooking: 'Floats like a butterfly and stings like one too.' Brooking scored the winning header against favourites Arsenal.
Given Wembley has hosted every big team in world football, Barber's favourite trivia question is the only side to have scored double figures. The answer is Greenwich, who beat Paddington 10-1 in the London Civil Defence cup final of 1945.
Indeed, part of Wembley's charm is how it's often turned everyday footballers into history-makers. The most recent example was Wigan Athletic's Ben Watson, their 2013 match-winner when they beat Manchester City 1-0 in the last major FA Cup final giant-killing.
Mail Sport took Watson back to the scene of his greatest triumph to mark the stadium's 100th birthday and he admitted that despite playing 544 matches spanning 19 years, he is only ever asked about one.
'It's the only thing I'm remembered for but I'm proud to be part of something that will last forever,' he said. 'I'm still asked about the goal and never get bored speaking about it. Coming here again makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
'The impact of the goal was immediate. I went on holiday to Portugal that summer. Whereas nobody noticed me before, all of a sudden people wanted my picture.'
It was emotional for the midfielder as he walked around the perimeter of the pitch, walked up to the royal box where he'd collected his winners' medal and sat in the dressing-room where manager Roberto Martinez did his team talk.
He had to pinch himself further walking down a corridor lined with pictures of musical greats like U2, The Rolling Stones and Madonna who have all played Wembley.
'It is the best stadium in the world. The whole place is magical. Having that personal connection makes it really special and I've seen the other side too. I've been as a fan myself to watch Coldplay,' said Watson.
'Last summer, I was invited to mark the 150th anniversary of the FA Cup and lucky enough to meet John Motson. I'm very grateful, it is hard to explain. This stadium has a hundred years of memories and my name is included in it.'
Ian Porterfield's winning goal gave Second Division Sunderland victory against mighty Leeds in the 1973 final. Mention the name Lawrie Sanchez and there is automatic association with his header for Wimbledon that upset Liverpool's 'culture club' in 1988.
Wigan's victory equalled any of those for shock value. City boasted world-class stars like Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero while The Latics were heading for relegation.
'Player-for-player, we should never have beaten them,' admits Watson. 'But we had these rascal grey suits for the occasion and Roberto's calm manner set the tone in the dressing room beforehand.
'I was coming back from injury so I was substitute. There was always a plan to bring me on for the last 10 minutes but I have to thank the lads we weren't 3-0 down by then.'
Within minutes of Watson's arrival, City were reduced to 10 men with Pablo Zabaleta sent off. Then came the moment just as the match was about to enter into injury-time.
'I'd usually have been on the edge of the box for Shaun Maloney's corner but because City were a man short and brought everyone back, I decided to walk into the area with nobody picking me up,' he recalls.