Laporta on Messi after his Camp Nou visit: "I’d have liked a better ending" | OneFootball

Joan Laporta once again maintained his stance on Lionel Messi’s departure from Barcelona, amid the commotion caused by the star’s visit to Camp Nou. “I don’t regret anything”, stated the current president of the Catalan club, who was also in charge at the time.

The top executive justified his actions back then and emphasized that “the institution is above everything else”. He also added: “«, but in this case it wasn’t possible. If the tribute can somehow make up for everything that didn’t go quite right, then fantastic.”

Regarding Messi’s presence at the stadium, Laporta admitted that the news surprised him, but he avoided controversy and was clear. “I didn’t know he would come, but Camp Nou is his home. It was a spontaneous act of Barcelona spirit. He finished dinner and felt like coming over with some friends.” he said.

The 63-year-old president also hinted that the relationship between them “is correct” and insisted on organizing a farewell match. He further added: “It’s only fair that Leo has the most beautiful tribute in the world. When the stadium is finished, it will have a capacity for 105,000 fans.”

Regarding this event, Laporta assured that the club is already working on it. “It’s the recognition for the best player in history and we would like to offer him what he deserves. I think I’ve heard statements from him saying that he would also like it to be that way.” he said.

Messi’s return to Barcelona, following the desire he expressed in his post, was another topic addressed by the president, who stated that “it would not be right to speculate”. Finally, he concluded: “It’s out of respect for the player himself, for the squad members, and for the club’s members.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.