Following the victory in the Copa del Rey on Saturday, Barcelona president Joan Laporta appeared very confident about the future of club legend Lionel Messi. Messi scored two goals in Barcelona's stunning 4-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final, helping the Catalan club secure the title for the 31st time in its history. The newly elected president watched the match from the stands in Seville, where Messi excelled and scored two magnificent goals, just weeks before his contract with the club expires.
Laporta told Spanish news outlet "Telecinco" after the match: "Leo is the best player in the world. He is very much linked to this club. I am convinced that he wants to stay and we will do everything we can to ensure he remains."
Since Laporta's return to the presidency a few weeks ago, his main task has been to convince the 33-year-old to stay at Camp Nou, following last summer's crisis that almost ended Messi's career at Barcelona. Laporta, who has spoken several times about the future of the Argentine star, added: "Today we saw that he (Messi) is surrounded by a great team. They played very good football."
The Copa del Rey is the first title for the new president since taking office, and it is the team's first trophy in two years. Laporta remarked: "We were really excited to get back to winning, and we did it. It was a great final match against a great team." He added: "The players needed this. We are happy for the players, the coaching staff, and the fans."
