Football: "the saddest decision, but I don't regret", the president of Barcelona assumes the departure of Messi

Joan Laporta says if he had to make such a decision again, he would do it again because he simply had no choice.

In a long interview broadcast on Barça TV, the president of FC Barcelona returned at length to the departure of Lionel Messi last summer.

Even if he wanted to stay in Catalonia, the Argentinian prodigy joined PSG: “I do not regret the decision made with Messi, assures Laporta.

But it was the saddest decision of all.

I never wanted to do it, but I'm not sorry either.

I place the institution above everything, it is even above the coaches and the best player in the history of football.

Reality has overtaken us”.

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It was the club's catastrophic financial situation that guided its painful choice: “We put the institution above everything else, we had to do it because of the situation we had inherited.

Whatever the will there was, we came up against reality, ”assures the Blaugrana boss, who returned to head the club a year ago, who continues: “We thought that after his departure (from Messi) , there would be nothing left but Barca's story continues.

With hard work and well thought out decisions, we can get back on the path to success.

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It is already somewhat the case.

After a rocky start to the season, Barcelona parted ways with Ronald Koeman to induct former glory Xavi on the bench.

Laporta also regrets not having dismissed the Dutchman earlier.

Ferran Torres, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Adama Traoré were recruited this winter.

Since then, Barca have had four wins in a row in all competitions and occupy 3rd place in La Liga, behind Real Madrid and Sevilla FC.

With raised ambitions.