Joan Laporta, president of Barcelona, says that Lionel Messi never wanted to leave Barcelona and thanks him for his services. (1:13).Joan Laporta, president of Barcelona, has stated that negotiations to keep Lionel Messi in the club's care are finished and that he doesn't want to create "false hope," that things could be fixed.Barca announced that Messi, who was a free agent after his contract expired in June and had not been paid any fees, would not be returning to the club due to financial difficulties.- La Liga on ESPN+ : Stream LIVE games replays (U.S. Only)Marcotti: Messi to Leave Barca What is really happening?Social media reacts to Lionel Messi's departure from BarcelonaLaporta spoke at a press conference on Friday to explain that Messi's "disastrous" situation was inherited from the previous board, and LaLiga’s strict spending limits made it impossible to keep him in the spotlight.Messi, 34 years old, had agreed to sign a new Camp Nou contract for five years, which would extend his 21-year relationship with the club. Laporta stated that the forward was devastated that this will not happen.Laporta stated, "I don’t want to create false hope," when Laporta was asked if the situation could be retrieved. "We've heard of other offers for Messi during negotiations. We and Messi had to agree on a deadline, because they both need time. The leagues are now in motion."The negotiations between Messi and Leo have ended. We are now here without an agreement due to the salary limit. Leo wanted to remain, but he isn't happy. He wanted to stay. But now, just like us, he has to face the reality of what happened. It's a reality that cannot be changed.On Friday, Joan Laporta, president of Barcelona, addressed the media. Photo by PAU BARRENA/AFP via Getty ImagesLaporta stated that the only way to keep Messi was to accept the LaLiga proposal this week. This deal would have seen 10% the league's business sold on to CVC Capital Partners.Laporta weighed the pros and cons to LaLiga's deal with CVC and concluded that no one is more important than the club, and that the club could have been at risk if it accepted the terms of sale.He continued, "It wouldn't be in Barca’s best interests." We were going to get some money but we don't think we can accept it. It would also affect our [revenues from] television rights for 50 years. It is too risky. "The club is above coaches, players and presidents."Javier Tebas, president of La Liga, has been arguing with Florentino Perez, president of Real Madrid, over the creation a European Super League. He responded to this on Twitter.He wrote, "Not long ago you were saying that we [LaLiga] are broke." "Now that we are valued at 24.25billion and [clubs] can grow, you worry about the future income of a league that you thought was dead.""You should know that CVC does not mortgage Barca's TV rights for 50 years. What it does is increase the value of all clubs. That way, you can MORTGAGE YOUR BANKS and solve your debt problem. This is how it was explained to you a few hours back.CVC declined to comment, but a source who was familiar with the sale stated that reports were "completely false" and that the investment fund would "continue to support the project."Barca has been unable to register Messi as their record holder and top goal scorer for years because of poor management. Laporta called the situation that Josep Maria Bartomeu left him as a "shipwreck".He said that Barca's wage bill with Messi would equal 110% of their revenues. It will still be 95% without Messi and they need to work hard to bring it down to 70%.This made it impossible for Messi to be registered with LaLiga in the coming season. Each club was allowed to spend a maximum amount of money in the Spanish league. Barca's spending limit was 600m prior to the pandemic, but it fell to 347m in the last season. The next campaign will see further cuts.Laporta stated that an internal audit had only revealed the extent of Barca's financial problems. He said that Barca will suffer losses of 487m in the 2020-21 season.The president spoke to Ronald Koeman, coach of the first-team squad, on Friday at the training grounds. He said that everyone should now work together to help Barca move forward in "the post-Messi Era".He stated, "There is sadness, but Ronald and the players are professionals. They now have the opportunity to prove that they are capable of leading Barca to success with their talents."It's now that we are ready to face the challenges and try to win all of the competitions we enter. In pursuit of excellence, we expect professionalism from coaches and players.Laporta stated that he knew Messi had received offers from several clubs, but did not say if Paris Saint-Germain was one of them. Paris Saint-Germain is the favorite to sign the Argentina international.Laporta stated that, despite the dire financial situation, he believed new signings Memphis Depay and Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia, and Emerson Royal could be registered with LaLiga. He stated that they all accept lower salaries and their circumstances are not comparable to Messi's.He refused to rule out signing more before the transfer window closes at month's end.
