This week, controversy has arisen following comments made by former Barcelona player and manager Xavi Hernandez, who claimed that Joan Laporta sabotaged Lionel Messi’s return to the club in 2023.
Xavi alleges that a deal was agreed for Messi to return after his Paris Saint-Germain contract ended, but Laporta did not sign off. The three-time Barcelona president, who is seeking a fourth mandate this weekend, denied these claims earlier in the week, and he has now addressed them again.
After former Barcelona director of football Mateu Alemany backed up Xavi’s version of events, Laporta was asked for his take during an interview with Onze de Esport 3. As per MD, he believes Alemany’s comments were made strategically.
“I always had a good relationship (with Alemany), but he will know why he makes these statements. When resentment comes together, it ends up being untrue.
“La Liga never gave us a definitive OK. We thought we could have convinced them, but they don’t say the nuances. Xavi spoke and I see that they have used him and Mateu too. Make no mistake, I had a very good relationship with Tebas. Mateu is now at Atletico and as he is smart he will surely want to destabilise a direct rival like Barça.”
Laporta: Xavi’s opinion is tainted by resentment
Laporta also revisited Xavi’s claims about the decision to sack the Barcelona icon as manager in the summer of 2024. He firmly believes that the 46-year-old is unable to be impartial when discussing the matter due to his ill-feelings about how things transpired at that time.
“Xavi’s opinion is very tainted by a certain resentment and from that feeling the truth is lacking. Everyone is very free to speak but the statements that Xavi made confirm to me that we made a good decision, because with almost the same players Xavi lost and Flick won,”
