Lionel Messi’s exit from FC Barcelona was ‘the right decision,’ says president Joan Laporta

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has declared that allowing Lionel Messi to leave the club in 2021 was “the right decision,” insisting the choice has been vindicated by the club’s subsequent financial recovery and squad overhaul.

Speaking to El País after securing a third term with 68.8 % of the vote on 15 March, Laporta addressed the lingering controversy surrounding the Argentine’s departure. “It is something I will always carry with me,” he admitted, before adding: “I believe I got it right.”

The 36-year-old’s exit became a flashpoint during the election campaign when former coach and Messi confidant Xavi Hernández accused Laporta of bearing primary responsibility for both his own dismissal and the failure to engineer Messi’s return in 2023. Laporta, who first placed Messi in Barcelona’s first team during his earlier presidency, countered that the club’s economic survival demanded painful choices.

“We were able to recover the club’s economy, we built a competitive team, and it was time for a generational handover,” Laporta said, pointing to the 555 million euro package Messi’s final contract commanded. “Leo was at the end of his career, and we had to build a new team. Would I have liked to build the new team with Leo helping? Yes. We tried that, but it wasn’t meant to be.”

While Messi has remained silent on the matter, Laporta confirmed efforts to mend relations, including plans for a commemorative statue outside Spotify Camp Nou and a tribute match. “Barça is his home,” Laporta insisted. “At some point, our interests will converge again.”

Despite acknowledging the emotional weight of Messi’s departure, Laporta stressed the outcome has justified the process: “I let the results speak for themselves.”