What Barça president Laporta and Messi have spoken about so far

On Nov. 30, 2020, Joan Laporta announced he would run to become the Barcelona president for a second time. Days before, Laporta had sent a message to Messi revealing his decision and expressing his desire for him to stay at Barça.

Messi, who in recent times has measured his words carefully and got things more right than wrong, responded that he had seen and that he shouldn't worry because: "If I stay or if I leave, I want to do things right and I won't create any problem for the club."

It was a private conversation and, for that reason, when Laporta was asked during the presentation of his campaign if he had spoken with Messi, he didn't say yes or not... What is true is that the relationship between the two has always been cordial. So much so, that in Laporta's previous spell as president, Messi and his father, Jorge, ate with him every now and again in a relaxed atmosphere.

The next message Laporta received from Messi was minutes after 9pm on Sunday, when it became clear he had beaten Victor Font and Toni Freixa to the Barça presidency. Leo sent a pleasant message congratulating him on his return. They agreed to meet soon.

On Monday, Laporta visited the dressing room, where he was well received, and caught up with Messi. On Tuesday, we saw the first hug between the president and the Barça captain before they boarded the plane for Paris. They saw each other on the plane to and back from Paris, but there's still no fixed date for a formal meeting.

As Laporta explained, he won't arrange one until he's officially in place, an audit has been conducted and he can make an offer with the full knowledge of the club's financial situation and sporting plans.

However, many things have changed since that first message when Messi assured Laporta he wanted to do things right. At that time, the team wasn't clicking, the dressing room atmosphere was different and there was no president-elect. Now, everything is seen with different eyes -- especially since Messi voted in the election.

It was a decision that demonstrated his love for the club. What's more, a few weeks ago, Messi had no intention of voting to avoid bad interpretations, but in the end he decided to exercise his right to vote as a leader, a captain and a Cule.

Conclusion: He got it absolutely right. The image of him voting with his son was the perfect demonstration of the democracy that runs through this special club, seen by the whole world. The captain voted, Carles Puyol voted, Luis Enrique voted... And not just that, also ex-presidents, players, ex-players and many socios. In short, a day to remember.

Messi has not made his final decision but everything suggests he's closer to staying than he was a few months ago and, in the worst-case scenario, his exit will be agreed and he will leave through the front door, as should be the case, and with a return ticket.

NEW FC BARCELONA PODCAST IN ENGLISH