Lionel Messi future: I’ll do everything to get him to stay at Barcelona, says Joan Laporta
- Argentine great Messi has been linked with a move away from Barcelona at the end of this season
Laporta’s pitch to Messi came two days after the Argentine equalled Xavi Hernandez as the club’s highest appearance maker on 767 games, marking the occasion by scoring twice in a 4-1 rout of Huesca.
“I’ll do everything I can to make Leo stay because he’s the best player in history,” Laporta said in his speech at the Camp Nou as Messi and fellow captains Gerard Pique, Sergi Roberto and Sergio Busquets watched on.
“You know I love you, you know Barca loves you and if this stadium were full when you played, you wouldn’t want to leave. Whatever you decide is fine in the end, but we’ll try.”
Laporta, who presided over one of Barca’s most memorable periods between 2003 and 2010, which included Messi’s rise from the youth ranks to become their best player ever, won the election on March 7 with 54 per cent of members’ votes.
He then faced an unexpected scramble to secure a guarantee of €125 million (US$149.70 million) within 10 days of winning the election to secure his position and avoid a second election, eventually getting over the line thanks to the backing of Catalan businessman Jose Elias, CEO of renewable energy firm Audax.