Joan Laporta, Barcelona's president, has reaffirmed that his decision to part ways with Lionel Messi in 2021 was the right call for the club's future. In an extensive interview with El Pais, Laporta emphasized the financial and sporting realities compelling the club to start a new era, acknowledging that Messi was nearing the end of his career. He said: "I did what I had to do. I would have liked to build the new team with Leo’s help, but it wasn’t possible."
Despite the separation, Laporta expressed his desire to maintain Messi’s connection to Barcelona, calling him a generational icon alongside Kubala and Cruyff. He believes that in time, their interests will align again and that Messi deserves a statue and a testimonial match.
Laporta highlighted the club’s financial turnaround and return to competitiveness without Messi. He also accused a systemic refereeing bias favoring Real Madrid and described the ongoing Negreira case as an institutional smear campaign, dismissing its claims.
Regarding the recent elections, Laporta criticized rival Victor Font’s campaign as unfair and expressed satisfaction with his decisive victory.
Meanwhile, former president Josep Maria Bartomeu argued that renewing Messi’s contract had been feasible with different financial management. He alleges that the current board inflated losses and noted that wage increases were due largely to the pandemic’s impact, defending his tenure as largely successful and denying that Messi dominated the club’s internal affairs.
These differing perspectives reveal contrasting narratives around Messi’s departure, but Laporta firmly stands by his choice as a necessary step for Barcelona’s long-term plans.
