Former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart strongly criticised Lionel Messi over the delay in holding an event for the Argentine star to bid farewell to the team’s fans, calling on him to return to the club regardless of who is president and rejecting any link between a potential tribute and Joan Laporta’s presence or departure from the presidency of the Catalan club.
Gaspart puts Barcelona above Messi
Speaking in an interview broadcast by the Solo Para Culers podcast over the weekend, Gaspart said Messi remained the best player in the world in his view, but stressed that Barcelona came before individuals, regardless of their stature. Addressing the Argentine, he added: “He must be careful, because Barcelona comes before him.”
The former president said his position did not stem from denying Messi’s value or belittling his career, saying the Argentine was “a great player and the best in the world”, but arguing that the club had helped shape his career. He added: “He is the best in the world, and part of that, I will not specify the percentage, is down to Barcelona. That is something he cannot forget.”
Gaspart’s relationship with Messi since the age of 13
Gaspart linked his remarks to his longstanding relationship with Messi, stressing that he was speaking out of affection for the player who arrived at Barcelona aged 13 during his presidency. He said: “I say this out of the historic love I have for the player I signed when he was 13 and I was president of Barcelona.” Gaspart urged Messi to give the farewell matter some time, but warned that continued delays would frustrate him.
He said the day might come when he became annoyed by Messi placing any obstacle in the way of returning to Barcelona and bidding farewell to the fans, adding: “Whoever the president is, he must come to bid farewell to Barcelona.” Gaspart also addressed the possibility that Messi’s return to the club was linked to the end of Laporta’s presidency, rejecting any tribute date being determined on that basis.
He said Laporta was the current president and that he personally would not attend the event if it were held after Laporta’s departure because Messi had refused to take part while he was in office. He added indignantly: “Who does he think he is? He cannot make his farewell conditional on Laporta not being president.”
No direct confirmation of a condition that Laporta must leave
The published remarks contained no direct response from Messi confirming that he had made Laporta’s departure a condition for attending the tribute. Gaspart’s intervention came amid continued discussion of the farewell the player did not receive when he left Barcelona in the summer of 2021, after contract renewal talks stalled and he moved to Paris Saint-Germain.
Gaspart used a family anecdote to illustrate the changing interests of Barcelona’s younger supporters, saying he had asked his four grandchildren’s children which name they wanted on the club shirts. He offered them a choice between Messi and Lamine Yamal, and they immediately chose the young Spanish player.
He added that his great-grandchildren asked about the other player he had mentioned, before he explained that it was Lionel Messi. According to his account, they asked whether Messi was a good player, and he told them that he had been a great player and the best he had ever seen, but they insisted on choosing a Lamine Yamal shirt.
