The President of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta, spoke again about Messi’s departure for the newspaper Sport. The culé leader assured that the Argentine’s departure had been the most complicated moment of his time as President of the Blaugrana team.
Laporta confessed that he felt very sad and regretted not being able to reverse the situation. In this regard he said: “I would have loved for me to be the president who helped him to be in the first team and to be the president who would always see him at Barça. It couldn’t be”. Despite this general sentiment practically throughout Barcelona, Laporta encourages us to turn the page and comments that the exit was totally necessary to be able to safeguard the future of Barça, due to the economic problems it is going through. “We had to think that this institution is above everything.”
Laporta is optimistic and assures that he feels strong enough to reverse the bad situation the club is going through at an economic and sporting level. From Messi he only left words of admiration and appreciation, “It also helps because we have been lucky because we enjoyed Messi’s best years and that we will always carry him in our hearts and that the doors of Barça are open forever.”
The President of Barça encourages us to look to the future and be optimistic, although it is true that the results do not help to turn the page. The club is facing one of its less exciting seasons and only the emergence of young people and the illusion that Xavi will be the next coach, allow fans to dream of feeling glory again. Laporta ended the interview by asking Barça fans for respect: “All I ask is respect for the decision we made. Both parties were sad. We have to look forward because our responsibility is Barça.”