Messi’s blockbuster interview hastened Barca reform, says Farre

Presidential candidate Jordi Farre credits Lionel Messi’s revealing interview over the lies and lack of plans as key towards a reform at FC Barcelona.

Messi reluctantly ended his bid to leave FC Barcelona this summer as a free agent earlier this month, but not without dropping a few bombshells in the process.

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner explained in his interview with Goal that his reluctance to take ‘the club of my life’ to court ended his chances of leaving.

But while Leo was reluctant to harm Barca, he spared no such regard to president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who broke his promise to allow him to leave for free at the end of the season.

The 33-year-old also cited a need to compete at the highest level and win the biggest competitions, such as the Champions League, which he felt was no longer possible to fulfill at Camp Nou.

Those remarks have placed the spotlight firmly on Bartomeu, with fans having demanded his resignation. A movement, called ‘Mes que una Mocio’ (‘More than a Motion’), has begun to remove him and his board from the club, with signatures already up to 7,500.

Now Farre, who is actively supporting the motion against Bartomeu, revealed how Messi’s comments were a turning point.

“Messi said there is no project and the board lied to him, all ‘socios’ should sign the motion of censure,” Farre told Goal.

“The signature collection got hurried after Messi’s quotes to Goal, the rhythm got doubled after it, maybe he should have used another strategy but the important thing is he is staying and I still think it is possible to convince him to sign another renewal.

“The financial situation [at Barcelona] is very dangerous because there’s a €800 million debt and a lot payment obligations. Griezmann has been paid thanks to a private fund and FCB won’t begin to give back the money until 2021, for example.

“The new Camp Nou project must be stopped in a context of financial crisis and still nobody knows when fans are allowed to be back at the stadium anyway.

“We hope to have all signatures for the motion of censure by September 17. If we do, there will be a referendum in 30 days and if the result is against Bartomeu, the election should take part around December 5, 2020.”