Amidst the club's presidential elections, Joan Laporta once again defended Lionel Messi's controversial departure from FC Barcelona. Laporta, who is in his third term, stated that the decision to let Messi go was ultimately "the right decision".

Prior to the elections, former coach Xavi Hernandez sparked controversy by holding Laporta primarily responsible for Messi's departure and for failing to bring him back in 2023. Despite this, Laporta convincingly won the elections with 68.8% of the vote on March 15.

In an interview with El País, Laporta addressed the impact of Messi's departure on his legacy. The Barcelona president expressed, "It is something I will always carry with me." He also recalled that it was during his presidency that Messi debuted in the first team and became the best player in the world. Later, Laporta made a decision that, according to him, was the right one.

Laporta argued that the subsequent results justify his decision: "I let the results speak for themselves." The club managed to recover its economy, built a competitive team, and it was time for a generational handover. Messi was at the end of his career, and it was necessary to build a new team. "Would I have liked to build the new team with Leo helping? Yes. We tried, but it couldn't be," he concluded.

Messi's departure was marked by the club's financial situation. In 2021, El Mundo revealed that Messi's last contract with Barcelona guaranteed him 555 million euros gross over four years. Faced with this financial burden and the impossibility of complying with Financial Fair Play regulations, Laporta maintained that "he did what he had to do".

Messi's departure was announced five years ago, and the economic context was key in this decision.

While Xavi, a close friend and former teammate of Messi, made comments about Laporta, and the latter dismissed those claims, the Inter Miami star has stayed out of the dispute entirely. Messi has not made his position public, although reports suggest his relationship with Laporta remains strained.

Laporta, for his part, has been working to rebuild that relationship, especially due to his close ties with Jorge Messi before the 2021 elections. While a return as a player is unfeasible, the president is pushing for the creation of a statue outside Camp Nou and a tribute match in Messi's honor.

When asked if the statue proposal could serve as a bridge to reunite with Messi, Laporta was optimistic: "He is a generational benchmark player: Kubala, Cruyff, and Messi. He must have a statue and also a tribute match. Barca is his home. The relationship of the future and the immediate present will be what Leo wants and what Barca wants. At some point, our interests will converge again".

Laporta seeks to honor Messi's career and is confident that the paths of the player and the club will meet again in the future.