Former Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said that club president Joan Laporta sabotaged the return of all-time great Lionel Messi in 2023 to avoid a power conflict.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and, two years later, joined MLS club Inter Miami.
“Leo was signed in January 2023. After winning the World Cup, we got in touch, and he told me he wanted to come back,” Xavi told Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia late on Sunday.
“We had the green light from La Liga (financially), but it was the president who threw it away…
“Laporta told me, word for word, that if Leo came back, he was going to wage war against him and that he couldn’t allow that. And then suddenly Leo stopped answering my calls because he’d been told that it couldn’t be done.”
Xavi stated that everything was prepared for Messi’s return, there was “no doubt” in a football sense, and “we were going to do a last dance, like [former NBA star Michael] Jordan’s.”
Laporta, who left as president a few weeks ago to compete for re-election this week, stated Monday that former coach Xavi was bitter and that Messi’s father and agent Jorge informed him that the superstar had opted not to return.
“With Xavi I saw we were going to lose, and with current coach Hansi Flick we will win,” Laporta said at a presidential debate Monday.
“I understand that Xavi is hurt—with the same players Flick wins.”
Laporta stated that he sent a contract to Jorge Messi, who later came to his home and informed him that “here there would be too much pressure” if the forward returned.
Messi is Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer with 672 goals and a club record of 34 titles at Camp Nou.
Laporta reportedly claimed Barcelona turned down a 250 million euro ($288 million) offer from PSG for young superstar Lamine Yamal, which was reported to have been made in the summer of 2023.
