Bundesliga Star Who Didn’t Like Lionel Messi Hints At Barca Return?

A former Barcelona star could possibly be open to a return to Camp Nou.

Previous to changing into probably the most outstanding gamers in Bundesliga, Dani Olmo first represented the Barcelona youth group. Roughly seven years after he left the Catalan membership, Olmo hinted at a doable transfer again to his boyhood membership.

“Barça will at all times have a particular place in my coronary heart,” Olmo mentioned in a latest piece for The Players’ Tribune. “It was a privilege to have performed there. It’s a level of reference for the remainder of the soccer world and any youngster would give something to play there, the place so many greats have arrived and discovered the commerce.”

Olmo joined Barcelona at age 9 and was honed by the membership’s famed La Masia academy. However not like most Barcelona academy graduates, Olmo wasn’t an enormous Lionel Messi fan.

Recounting his first encounter with Messi, Olmo revealed that he even refused to have an image with the Barcelona captain.

“One time, earlier than I even joined La Masia, I accompanied my father whereas he was managing a sport at Castelldefels,” Olmo recalled. “I used to be eight years outdated. I used to be taking part in fortunately on my own with a ball, when somebody — I believe it was a good friend of my dad’s — came visiting and advised me, ‘Hey, Dani, come right here! You’re not going to consider this. You’re going to have your image taken with Lionel Messi!’”

“Apparently, Messi had a good friend taking part in within the Castelldefels sport and had come right down to see him,” he continued. “Wow, Messi, proper? In Castelldefels? What child wouldn’t need their image with him? Properly, me! I used to be like, ‘No, thanks. I’m good. I need to preserve taking part in! It’s only a image, proper?’”

Lionel Messi has advised Barcelona he desires to depart free of charge this summer season Picture: AFP / JAVIER SORIANO

In 2014, at age 16, Olmo left Barcelona for Croatian facet Dinamo Zagreb the place he grew to become one of many group’s most notable stars. In 2018, rumors linked Olmo’s title to a return to Barca, however nothing concrete occurred between each events.

In spite of everything, the Spanish attacker’s distinctive expertise didn’t go unnoticed. In January 2020, Olmo left Dinamo Zagreb for Bundesliga facet RB Leipzig, the place he grew to become one of many group’s most constant performers as effectively, having been instrumental to the group’s semi finals run within the UEFA  Champions League final season.

This 12 months’s World Cup qualifiers isn’t any completely different for Olmo. He has been producing buzz round Spain following his late aim towards Georgia and a sensational opening aim towards Kosovo.