Former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart confessed that his criticism of Lionel Messi, especially Messi’s perceived lack of interest in coming back to the club officially, may have been a bit over the top.
Gaspart, a long-time president at the time Messi joined the team when he was 13 years old, he recently cast doubt on Messi’s rapport with the current president, Joan Laporta, and was not kind towards the star.
After the club’s financial problems, Messi left Barcelona back in 2021. The goodbye couldn’t really happen in front of the fans at Camp Nou either.
“Gaspart, Barcelona is bigger than any individual, he insisted it was a must, and Messi would have to come, and that regardless of which president was there,” it reads. Gaspart explained on the Sólo para Culés podcast.
Nevertheless, when his words were taken out of context, he, to the contrary of what they meant, was a little harsh, he himself admitted.
“I even wrote to Leo because I love him, but I guess I was kind enough to be wrong in that, I was kind enough to be really wrong in that,” said Gaspart
The Spaniard explained that his remarks were a sign of his love and support for Messi, whom he helped to come to Barcelona as a boy.
Still no word about the Lionel Messi memorial
The Barcelona send-off plan for Lionel Messi is still a mystery. Yet, last year, Laporta said the club might hold a ceremony after Camp Nou is finished renovating in 2028.
During his time with Barcelona, Messi did a number on the club, winning 10 La Liga championships and four UEFA Champions League medals.
Now at Inter Miami, the player is under contract until 2028 in the US. Meanwhile, Barcelona fans are still optimistic, expecting that one day Messi would come back to the team he used to belong to for a celebration of his absence.
