La Liga: Rules to Allow Lionel Messi to Return to Barcelona Won't Be Changed

La Liga won't move heaven and earth to facilitate Lionel Messi's possible reunion with Barcelona.

League president Javier Tebas said Wednesday he'd like to see Messi back in Spain but that he won't make any exceptions for Barça:

"I hope they can make the necessary moves to make space for Messi to come in, but of course we are not going to change any rules for Messi to sign. Barca can make moves; they sell players."

"That's what we hope happens because I am a fan of Messi and I would like Messi to play in our league. But we won't change any rules. It is complicated, but I think they have the capacity to do it."

Last summer, Barcelona not only averted a catastrophe but also used every means at its disposal to make some marquee transfers. Now, pulling all of the economic levers may not present a solution.

Tebas said in March that Barça "doesn't have any room in its budget to spend in the upcoming transfer window."

"In the case of Barcelona, they have to drop from spending on wages and transfers from €650 million to €450 million, so it's a budget of minus €200 million," he explained.

"They have to reduce their investment in players and we have encouraged them to sell players because, for every amount they raise in sales, they can spend 40 per cent of that."

That obviously complicates a deal with Messi, even though he'll be available on a free transfer after the 2022-23 season ends.

A rising tide lifts all boats. Even into the twilight of his playing career, the 35-year-old remains one of the most famous athletes in the world. His return to Spain would boost the bottom line of Barcelona and La Liga as a whole.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber has hinted at how the league could relax its salary cap guidelines for a Messi deal specifically.

Unlike Garber, Tebas has drawn a clear line in the sand.

A cloud is already hanging over the Camp Nou amid the ongoing scrutiny of payments the club made to a company owned by a top official within the Spanish refereeing committee. La Liga would open itself up to significant criticism if it were to change its financial rules to Barcelona's benefit.