Joan Laporta sat down on December 18 to watch the World Cup final with the feeling that whatever happened, he and Barcelona would win. “If Argentina won, I would be happy for Messi; if France won, by Dembélé and Koundé”. But when push comes to shove, football goes directly to feelings and the outcome struck a chord with the Barcelona president, as he confessed in an interview on the program Que t'hi jugues. “A few tears fell when he won the final. I got excited because for Leo it was important. He deserved the World Cup. I was very happy, ”he revealed.
The president insists that he has regained contact with the Argentine soccer player. "I tell you that we do have a relationship," he assured. Although he made it clear that it is not convenient for him to speak publicly about ten. “As he is a PSG player, I prefer not to talk about him. Then missiles come at us from all sides”. But he does not hide that "Messi will always be part of our shield" and that he would like there to be "a different ending from the one he had".
Laporta was asked again about the moment he let the star, the top scorer and player with the most games in Barça's history, escape. “The legacy we received was economic ruin. His contract was up and I had to put Barça ahead of the best player in the history of football. I couldn't keep him because I think it was the best for the club. Right now he is a PSG player and I prefer not to talk about him”.
On the liquidation, the president explained that "everything is agreed" but hinted that the Argentine is still owed money.
In the interview, the president of FC Barcelona also dealt with other issues:
“Piqué's contract is settled. We get along very well. If he wants he will be president ”
“Busi will not be eternal. If we do not extend the contract, we will have to find a replacement for him. We have Frenkie de Jong who can play in that position. Neves is a good player but Xavi will decide"
"The new Camp Nou will be finished in June 2026. In the season that we are in Montjuïc we will stop earning 93 million from the stadium business."
“Confidence in the Camp Nou project means that the operation of the stadium itself is the only guarantee for the loan. Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan have accepted that the club's ownership model is untouched. They don't pose any threat."
“I think there will be a Super League. It will be an open competition. I would not enter the project if it was not open. Madrid and Juventus accepted it. The only difference is that this competition will be governed by the clubs. I hope UEFA is at the table with one more chair."
“In 2025 we can already be up and running if the CJEU resolution is favourable. In a first step, the English teams, in my personal opinion, would not be there. It will end with a merger between the Super League and the Premier. Without that affecting the League. I am a strong supporter of national competitions”.
“LaLiga has acted as a legislator, a judge and an executive branch. He has dedicated himself to making circulars that contradicted Barça's interpretation of financial fair play. The comparison with the Premier is to make you look at it. We are entering for television rights the same as the eighth of England. It is for lack of ambition. I think that the Kings will give Thebes a bit of coal”
“Darren Dein charged what is stipulated in the market. I couldn't tell you. But he was a key player for the agreement with Spotify to take place. Lewandowski's agent is Pini Zahavi. The commission was at market price. The Athletic? Impossible that they were 10 million. The same in other operations yes, but he has not received them from Barça ”
“He cannot represent any Barcelona player and he cannot act as an intermediary in a Barça operation. My son played soccer and has grown up in this world and is dedicated to recruiting 14 and 15-year-old players and directs them to several agents, not just one. I have told him that his limit is Barça. He cannot do business with Barça. He is 25 years old and I can't tell you what he can work on. But he is very well educated ”
