giant lionel messi banner in barcelona city centre unveiled by marc ciria campaign
In barcelona, football is rarely just sport — it is identity, memory, and power. presidential hopeful Marc Ciria has leaned fully into that truth, launching his campaign with a towering tribute to the club’s eternal icon, Lionel Messi.
the massive banner unveiled in the city centre — bearing the message “ganes de tornar-te a veure” (can’t wait to see you again) — is more than nostalgia. it is strategy. and it signals that the race to lead FC Barcelona after Joan Laporta has entered emotionally charged territory.
ciria’s core argument is blunt: messi’s 2021 departure was not just a financial inevitability — it was “one of the greatest strategic mistakes” in club history. by framing the exit as an expulsion rather than an economic crisis, he positions himself as the candidate of reconciliation.
the symbolism matters. messi, now starring for Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer, remains barcelona’s most powerful emotional asset. invoking him is the fastest way to connect with a fanbase that still sees his farewell as unfinished business.
while the banner dominates headlines, ciria’s platform extends beyond sentiment. backed by economist ivan cabeza, his five-point recovery plan targets:
debt restructuring and financial stabilisation
digital revenue expansion
renewed commercial partnerships
member-focused governance
symbolic restoration of club heritage
the promise is clear: fix the books, heal the soul.
ciria has been careful to avoid unrealistic guarantees. he insists any on-field return would depend on sporting directors, not presidential decree. yet politically, the implication is unmistakable: under his leadership, the door to messi’s homecoming would reopen.
in catalonia’s football culture, that message resonates deeply. messi is not just a former player; he is the living embodiment of the club’s golden era. aligning with him signals continuity with barcelona’s identity at a time many supporters feel it has drifted.
the campaign also targets everyday members. proposed season-ticket price freezes — subsidised by new sponsorship — aim to restore pre-pandemic affordability and reinforce the idea that the club belongs to its socios, not executives.
combined with the “messi room” at campaign headquarters and global fan video tributes, ciria’s strategy blends spectacle with policy. it is both emotional theatre and electoral positioning.
barcelona’s presidential elections have always mixed ideology, finance, and footballing vision. ciria’s move crystallises the central question of the coming vote:
should the club prioritise financial realism — or symbolic restoration of its greatest legend?
by turning messi into a campaign centrepiece, ciria has ensured that the debate over barcelona’s future is inseparable from its past.
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