Xavi claims Laporta blocked Messi return, sparking election controversy at Barcelona | OneFootball

The departure of Lionel Messi from FC Barcelona had been one of the most prominent turning events in the recent history of the Catalan club, and even today, several years after this episode, this event is having a lot of impact on the Blaugrana club.

In fact, its impact is also quite observable on the presidential election process that is currently underway at Barcelona. This was clear from some of the recent statements made by the former midfielder and coach Xavi Hernandez.

As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the former teammate of Messi appeared in an interview with La Vanguardia, and gave his version of why the Argentine was not re-signed by the club, despite being in quite advanced negotiations with him, and blamed Joan Laporta directly for this. His statement went as follows:

“There, the president doesn’t tell the truth either. Leo was signed. In January 2023, after becoming world champion, we made contact, and he told me he was excited to return, and I saw it. We spoke until the month of March, and I told him, ‘Well, when you give me the OK, I’ll tell the president because I see it football-wise.'”

“Then? The president started negotiating the contract with Leo’s father, and we had the green light from LaLiga, but it is the president who pulls everything back.”

Xavi’s version went on to take a more serious color:

“Did he explain why? Laporta told me textually that if Leo returned, he was going to make war [for him] and that he couldn’t allow it. And then suddenly Leo stopped picking up the phone because from the other side they had told him it couldn’t be done.”

“And I, calling the father, told him, ‘It can’t be Jorge,’ and he told me, ‘Talk to the president.’”

“I called his father and said, ‘That can’t be, Jorge,’ and he told me, ‘Talk to the president.’”

The former coach commented on how he tried his best to bring the Argentine back to Barcelona:

Xavi also commented on his relationship with Messi, and hinted on the current Inter Miami star’s thoughts on the elections:

“Those are private conversations that, besides, being Leo and knowing the repercussions he has, I prefer not to say anything, but well, I imagine you all know what he thinks, right?”

Ultimately, the former midfielder was clear that he would return to the club:

“I think now that I am never going to return to Barça again. I have already done my stage as a player and coach.”

This is quite a serious attack on Joan Laporta, and could have significant implications on the electoral process, especially as Lionel Messi remains one of the most beloved figures at Camp Nou.

For now, it remains to be seen whether Laporta or his entourage would come up to give their own version of the events, and how it will compare with what Xavi Hernandez has said.