Barcelona president makes Lionel Messi admission after watching him at Inter Miami
The outspoken Blaugrana personality was not exactly coy about his desire to bring the Argentine icon back to Camp Nou but ultimately had to admit defeat in the chase
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has admitted that the sight of Lionel Messi in an Inter Miami shirt is something he is still getting used to seeing.
The outspoken Blaugrana chief made no secret of his desire to bring the Argentine icon back to Camp Nou earlier in the summer but he was eventually left disappointed. With the World Cup winner having spent the majority of his club career in Catalonia, it had looked as though the deal was a near formality.
Messi’s father and agent Jorge had met with representatives from the five-time European champions after it became apparent that his son’s two-year stint at Paris Saint-Germain was coming to a close. At one point, Messi Sr was even seen leaving Laporta’s house and he was unquivocal in his response to reporters about the seven-time Ballon d’Or victor’s hope that he would move back to Barca.
However, as the summer evolved, the 36-year-old eventually surprised the sporting world by announcing his intention to move to Inter Miami instead, bringing to an end any speculation over a return to Barcelona. Leaving Europe for the first time in his club career, Messi was clear about his intention to seek a change of lifestyle in the United States.
Speaking to Spanish publications Mundo Deportivo and Sport, he explained his decision, saying: “After winning the World Cup and not being able to return to Barcelona, it was my turn to go to the league of the United States to live football in another way and to enjoy the day to day more. Obviously, with the same responsibility and desire to play well and do things well as always but in a calmer way.”
Now the dust has settled on Messi’s blockbuster switch to MLS, Blaugrana president Laporta has opened up on his feelings in relation to the move. With the playmaker so synonymous with Barcelona, he admitted that he is still not used to seeing the superstar turning out for another club.
He told ESPN: “It’s a strange feeling, we identify Messi with Barcelona. That’s the way I think most supporters see Messi, because most of his career has been at Barca.
“But we respect his decision and we wish the best for him. We want the best for our players. He came to Barcelona as a kid, 14-years-old, and he spent 20 years with us. I hope he can be very happy in Miami.”
Going into further detail about the former Barca talisman’s decision to snub the advances of his old club, he added: ‘It was very close, At the end, we reached an agreement with La Liga that authorized us to add him to the squad. But Leo was coming from a situation in Paris where he was under a lot of pressure.
“His father told me that he needed a place where he won’t be under pressure and at Barca that would not be the case because of the meaning of the return of our hero.”
