Lionel Messi’s reaction to Xavi’s bombshell claim Joan Laporta deliberately vetoed his return to Barcelona in 2023 has been revealed.
In an extraordinary interview with La Vanguardia, one week before Barcelona’s presidential elections are held, Xavi claims La Liga approval was secured for the club to re-sign Messi three years ago. However, the deal never materialised because of Laporta.
Messi initially left Barcelona in the summer of 2021, emotionally parting ways with the club of his heart despite being fully convinced he would be staying at Camp Nou just days earlier. The legendary Argentine forward signed for Paris Saint-Germain but admits he was never truly happy during his two years with the French giants.
While rumours of a shock return to Barca were mooted, it was Inter Miami who secured Messi’s signature in 2023. However, Xavi (Barcelona’s head coach between 2021-2024) has revealed that Messi was eager to return to Catalonia after achieving his lifelong dream of becoming a World Cup winner in December 2022.
"We are going to do a last dance like Jordan’s,” Xavi is understood to have told Messi’s father, Jorge, after Argentina’s dramatic win over France in the World Cup final in Qatar.
Xavi Accuses Laporta of Blocking Messi's Return
Joan Laporta and Xavi
Joan Laporta and Xavi
Per Goal, Xavi has now revealed: "The president isn't telling the truth there either. Leo was signed. In January 2023, after winning the World Cup, we got in touch, and he told me he was excited about coming back, and I saw it.
“We talked until March, and I told him, 'Okay, when you give me the OK, I'll tell the president because I see it as a good move from a footballing perspective.' Then what happened? The president started negotiating the contract with Leo's father, and we had La Liga's approval, but it was the president who threw everything out."
Xavi continued: “Did he explain why? Laporta told me, and I quote, that if Leo came back, he was going to wage war against him and that he couldn't allow it. And then suddenly Leo stopped answering my calls because he'd been told on the other end that it couldn't be done.
“And when I called his father, I said, 'This can't be, Jorge,' and he said, 'Talk to the president.' And I insisted that we'd been talking with Leo for five months, it was a done deal, there were no doubts about his footballing ability, and financially we were going to Montjuïc and we were going to do it."
Xavi revealed that his relationship with Messi was subsequently left damaged by the collapsed transfer saga. The legendary Spanish midfielder added: "Did it take a while before I spoke with Messi again? Yes, because he thought I was part of the whole scheme. It affected my relationship with Leo a lot, but now it’s good again.
“He knows that now, he understands it now, but there was a period when I couldn’t communicate with him. It was a shame, but it was because of those who are in charge."
On the prospect of whether Messi could still re-sign for Barcelona one day, Xavi issued an emphatic response: "Leo Messi is never returning to Barcelona simply because Laporta doesn’t want that. It not because of La Liga or Jorge Messi is asking for money, that’s all a lie. It’s Laporta who is telling his camp that the club can’t afford him."
Argentina's Lionel Messi training.
The reaction of Messi and his camp to Xavi’s explosive interview has already emerged via Spanish radio programme Carrusel Deportivo.
Highlighted by @AlbicelesteTalk on X (Twitter), Messi’s camp have reportedly said: "Finally, the truth is starting to come out, and little by little, everything will be revealed. Leo did everything he was asked to do to wear the FC Barcelona jersey again and that's for the second time.
"In 2021, a salary of 10 million euros per year was agreed for the contract renewal and shortly after that deal fell through, Ferran Torres was signed for €55M
"And then, the second time as Xavi mentioned, it was Laporta who shut everything down. Messi did everything he was asked to do to wear the FC Barcelona jersey again."
A separate tweet adds: “Leo Messi is already aware of Xavi’s interview and he fully validates Xavi's version of events regarding Joan Laporta.”