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Reuters
Messi, Neymar and Suarez
Barcelona captain Lionel Messi said he was "struck" by Neymar's return to the club, while insisting that Barcelona could still win titles without Neymar.
Messi said in an interview with the Catalan sports newspaper this week that the return of Neymar, who played for Barcelona between 2013 and 2017, before settling in Paris Saint-Germain, will strengthen the club's fortunes.
"I would be very happy if Neymar came back," Messi said in an interview. "I understand that not everyone will agree, and that is to be expected after the circumstances surrounding his departure and the way he abandoned us."
"If you look at the sporting angle, Feymar is one of the best footballers in the world and his return to Barcelona would undoubtedly strengthen our hopes for results," he said.
Neymar, 27, wanted to leave Paris Saint-Germain – a club that had spent 222 million euros to buy in Barcelona in 2017 – and Barcelona and Real Madrid were contending.
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But he remains at SG for the moment.
"I'm not frustrated," he said, "but I would have been happier had he returned to the team, but we still have a strong team that can compete for all. titles even without Neymar. "
Messi denied information that he had used his influence to force the council to sign the contract with Neymar.
"I am not here the one who commands, and we never said that it was necessary to send him back.We did not formulate any request," he said.
Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomio said on Friday that Neymar "did everything in his power" to return to Camp Nou, but that the Catalan club "has not been able to respond" to requests from Paris St Germain.
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