Laporta explains why he allowed Messi to leave Barcelona

Messi and Barcelona parted ways last summer after an incredible spell that lasted over two decades.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said he has no regrets about his decision to allow Lionel Messi to leave the club.

Because of Barcelona’s crippling financial problems, as well as La Liga’s salary cap rules, Laporta couldn’t offer Messi a new contract, resulting in the forward’s departure to Paris Saint-Germain last summer.

A rebuilding job has since begun at Camp Nou under the new manager Xavi Hernandez. After a slow start, the recent run of promising results has boosted morale and left the club hopeful of a promising future.

‘No one is above the club’

Now, in an interview with BarcaTV+, Laporta has explained his side of the story behind Messi’s summer exit.

“It was the hardest decision I made,” the Barcelona president said.

“I didn’t want to make the decision. Messi is the best player in history, but that was our situation.

“I had to make a big decision about Messi, but I do not regret it. No one is above the club. With Messi, reality hit us. There’s nothing else to it, but Barcelona’s history continues, and with hard work and correct decisions we can return to the path of success. That’s what we’re doing.”

What next for Barcelona?

The Blaugrana return to Europa League action on Thursday for the first leg of their last-16 tie against Turkish giants Galatasaray.

Barcelona enter the contest hoping to make it five wins in a row across all competitions. Judging by the current odds from Bet365, they’re on course to do just that. A home win is priced at 1.14, while odds for a Galatasaray win are at a staggering 17.00 at the time of writing.