As he prepares for his fourth term as Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta opened up Saturday about not re-signing Lionel Messi back in 2021, a decision that instigated the now-tense relationship between the two and sent the Argentine superstar to Paris Saint-Germain after 17 seasons with Barça.
“Regarding what I had to do at that moment—obviously, it wasn't what I would have liked—but it simply couldn't be, for economic reasons In that sense,” Laporta told El País in Spanish, citing the financial burden Messi’s resigning would have created for the club. “I had to make a decision, didn't I? These are the trade-offs—the conflicting factors that arise with every decision made—specifically regarding these situations involving Leo.”
