Nearly ten months have passed since the transfer that rocked world football. Lionel Messi, for the first time in his life, left his youth club Barcelona, although he did not want to, and signed In Paris Saint-Germain. As you may recall, Messi intended to sign a long-term contract to stay at Blaorgana, but was suddenly informed by President Juan Laporta that Barcelona would not be able to sign him and that he would be forced to leave.
Since those dramatic days, Laporta has often talked about the possibility of Messi returning to Barcelona, and has always left the door open even though in the current situation it is not possible. In a recent statement he told Laporta that if Messi wants to return, “he will have to play for free”. In Spain it was reported that Messi was tired of hearing the same statements from the president, and his father, Jorge Messi, even called Laporta and asked him to stop.
On the rare occasions that Messi has been interviewed by the media since moving to the City of Lights, he has always respected Barcelona and Laporta, but has also previously warned the president and said he did not like what he said. “No one asked me to play for free, but I think what the president said is out of place. These things hurt me because he did not have to say it, he did not think about the consequences.”
In Spain they wrote that when Messi left Barcelona he felt hurt and cheated by Laporta, who told him throughout his election campaign and also at the beginning of his term that he wanted to renew the star’s contract: “Everything seemed finished, until the day before signing he told him he had to leave” .