"Barcelona" president Joan Laporta has spoken again about Lionel Messi’s departure in 2021, calling it one of the most memorable and difficult moments of his time at the club. He said Messi’s exit will always stay with him, but added that he still believes the decision made at the time was the correct one.
Laporta noted that he was also the president when Messi first broke into the senior team, and he praised the Argentine star for many years as the best player in the world. At the same time, he said the club had reached a point where it needed to rebuild, restore its finances and prepare for a change of generations.
According to Laporta, Messi was entering the final stage of his career, while "Barcelona" needed to create a new competitive squad for the future. He admitted that he would have liked to build that new team with Messi still at the club, and said efforts were made to make that happen, but the plan could not be completed.
Messi played for "Barcelona"’s first team from 2003 to 2021. During that period, he made 778 appearances, scored 672 goals and provided 303 assists, leaving behind one of the greatest records in football history.
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