The president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta, revealed several important points during a press conference regarding the club, including Messi's departure, the trust placed in Dutch coach Ronald Koeman, and the attempt to bring Neymar back to the team. In his interview with "RAC1," Laporta discussed various matters, notably the behind-the-scenes of Messi's exit and the confidence in Koeman, according to "Sputnik."
Regarding Messi, Laporta stated: "With Messi, I do not get angry because I appreciate his position. There is disappointment from both sides because he wanted to stay, and for me, I prefer to keep the memories of Messi with us as they are. Everything points to the fact that he received an offer from Paris Saint-Germain, and it was a very strong offer. I don’t think about going back now because I am doing my best for Barcelona." He continued: "Barcelona is above every player, but I wished Messi had said at the last moment that he would play for free. La Liga would have accepted that, but we cannot ask that of a player of his caliber. I thought about it because I know him well; he came up with me to the first team, and I helped his family a lot. He knew that when things returned to economic order, it would be suitable for him, and we would pay some money as agreed."
On renewing trust in Koeman, Laporta said: "It was important for us to give him a margin of confidence. I understood his plan and style; this happened to me with Frank Rijkaard and also Guardiola. I want it to happen with Koeman as well. I expressed my opinion and he justified it with technical aspects that I understood."
Regarding the possibility of bringing Neymar back to the team, Laporta mentioned: "We did not have complete information and the necessary figures to finalize the deal, and we thought we had a margin to secure his services. We tried, but what they told us was not correct. They later convinced him to renew with Paris. His presence with us could have generated a lot of income, but the deal did not succeed."
He concluded by discussing a new stadium, which could increase its capacity to 110,000 spectators, stating: "It is essential for the club to have the ability to continue into the present and future, and that will happen through a larger stadium and space to generate a lot of income. Partners will be proud of this project and the impact it will create."
