Football NewsJoan Laporta has expressed his desire to see Leo Messi hang up his boots at Barcelona
Post image

Messi departed the club last summer and joined Pari Saint-Germain on a free transfer, with Laporta claiming that Barcelona could not afford to renew his contract.

Messi’s time at Barcelona didn’t end as we all wanted it to

Joan Laporta has acknowledged that Barcelona and Lionel Messi may have not parted ways on the best possible terms. Still, he expressed his desire to see the Argentine forward hang up his boots at the Blaugrana. Messi departed the club last summer and joined Pari Saint-Germain on a free transfer, with Laporta claiming that Barcelona could not afford to renew his contract. “It is an aspiration that I have as president, and I would like it to happen, as I have been jointly responsible for that end which I consider provisional,” Laporta said. “Messi’s time at Barcelona didn’t end as we all wanted it to. It ended very much conditioned by economic reasons, and we have a moral debt. In that sense, we would like the end of his career to be on a Barcelona shirt and applauded at all grounds where he goes.”

The former players want to come to Barcelona again

Barcelona have been particularly active in this summer transfer window, with opponents raising their eyebrows at the amount the club spent to sign new players. “I have the feeling that we are working well; the players want to come to Barcelona again,” added Laporta. “We are building a very well-balanced team that can challenge in all competitions with the intention of winning them. There is a lot of competition, with a minimum of two players per position who are very good. To those who were surprised, I say that we are very awake. We have returned to the market. The weight, strength and value of a club with more than 122 years of history is huge. There are more surprises to come.”

Asked about the concern or frustration of other clubs about Barcelona’s latest signings, Laporta attributed it to “ignorance” about the financial state of the club, saying that the Blaugrana “left the hospital thanks to the levers”.