I’m not afraid of Lionel Messi, says Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta

Joan Laporta insists he isn’t afraid Lionel Messi will derail his bid to reclaim the Barcelona presidency.

Laporta goes up towards Victor Font on Sunday however his closing week of campaigning has been disrupted by claims he kiboshed a transfer to convey Messi again to Camp Nou in 2023.

The accusation was made by then Barca boss Xavi in an interview yesterday. Messi had simply received the World Cup with Argentina and was exploring his choices along with his contract at Paris Saint-Germain because of expire that summer time. Xavi says he spoke to his former team-mate and a verbal settlement was in place for Messi to return to the membership for whom he had scored a report 672 targets earlier than leaving in 2021 with the financially stricken Catalan giants unable to maintain him.

The deal was nearing completion however, in keeping with Xavi, Laporta pulled the plug with Messi finally going to Inter Miami. Laporta has all the time claimed it was Messi who opted towards transferring again to Barca as a result of strain it might have created.

Requested this morning if he feared both Messi, or his father Jorge, would affirm Xavi’s story over the approaching days, Laporta instructed COPE: “No, under no circumstances. I’m satisfied he [Jorge Messi] would say the identical as me, as a result of the dialog was what it was, until they modify variations. However I don’t suppose they are going to change variations as a result of with Jorge we have now all the time understood one another. 

“What we don’t need is to divert consideration from what pursuits the culés, as a result of the president and the board of administrators are [going to be] elected, and on this context Xavi’s contribution means completely nothing. If he has stolen any votes from me then the polls will say.”

Messi row overshadows actual Barcelona points, says Laporta

The difficulty is an undesirable distraction for Laporta, who’s hoping to stay president and prolong his tenure that has already lasted for 12 years over two spells. 

He added: ”I don’t perceive what Xavi says. Leo needed to return [to Barcelona] after his time at PSG, Jorge Messi got here dwelling and instructed me that they’d be higher off in Miami than in Saudi Arabia or Barcelona, the place they’d have numerous strain. 

“This [issue] is barely making an attempt to distort the election. What Xavi says shouldn’t be true, however is being utilized by Font and doesn’t contribute something to the electoral debate.”

Xavi was sacked by Laporta in Might 2024, 4 months after the membership persuaded him to rethink his authentic determination to stroll away on the finish of that season.

Laporta is mendacity over Messi, claims Xavi

The previous Spain midfielder was requested about Messi in an explosive interview with La Vanguardia and stated: “The president is mendacity about what occurred with Messi. Leo was signed. In January of 2023, after he had received the World Cup, I spoke to him and he instructed me he was excited to return.

“We spoke till March and I instructed him: ‘When you give me the OK, I’ll inform the president as a result of it really works completely on a soccer stage.’

“The president negotiated the contract with Leo’s dad [Jorge] and we had the inexperienced mild from La Liga financially, nevertheless it was the president who pulled out.

“He instructed me verbatim that if Messi got here again, he would make a struggle [against Laporta]. My curiosity is in telling the reality. Leo didn’t come as a result of the president didn’t need him.

“It’s a deceive say it’s as a result of La Liga [wouldn’t allow it financially] or Jorge Messi requested for extra money. It was the president and his individuals who stated they may not enable it, that he [Laporta] has all the facility and that Messi would deal with that badly.”