Messi attended the ceremony along with various other players and the Blaugrana figures, and Laporta addressed Messi at one point.
Laporta wants Messi to stay at Barca
Joan Laporta was sworn in as Barcelona’s new president on Wednesday night, and the new boss’ message to Lionel Messi became the main headline of his opening speech. Messi attended the ceremony along with various other players and the Blaugrana figures, and Laporta addressed Messi at one point. “We will try, for example, to convince Leo to stay at the club,” Laporta said during his speech. “Sorry, Leo … I’ll do my best, and he knows it! We will try, of course, to convince him to stay here, because he is the best player in history. I’m sorry, but I love you, and Barcelona loves you too. If this stadium were full, you wouldn’t want to go.”
The economic situation is a priority for Laporta’s board
Laporta also addressed several other topics, starting with reflections on the electoral process. “Only God knows what it took to get here,” he said. “I thank the interim board for these elections, which were exemplary. I thank all the members who took part in it, and especially those who supported our proposal. Now we need to do everything well. We will do our best to make you proud of Barcelona again.” For Laporta, understanding the club’s financial situation is vital. “The economic situation is a priority for us,” he said. “We need to make the club sustainable and we have a plan for this. We will make decisions in the best interest of Barcelona. Stability is key, and we can improve all sections to make them more competitive. But we have to stay stable.”
The new president also discussed Ronald Koeman’s position as the first team’s coach and supported the Dutchman. “Ronald, you have our confidence,” he said, referring to the coach. “We want to go back to making history in the Champions League, but this year we need to go out and try to win the Liga and the Copa del Rey title.”