Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta has issued a stark warning to the club’s members, insisting Lionel Messi will leave the club if he is not elected.
Laporta is favourite to win a second spell in charge of the LaLiga giants when elections to replace JosepBartomeu as president are held on Sunday.
Messi’s future is one of the many major problems facing the club at present, with the Argentine star’s contract due to expire this summer. Last year, Messi wanted to leave but agreed to back down and stay for another season.
Laporta has continued to promise he will ‘do everything possible’ to keep Messi at the Nou Camp while on the campaign trail and has now issued a simple warning to members before they cast their vote.
‘I have a great relationship with Leo [Messi] and he will consider whatever proposal I make,’ Laporta said during a TV debate on Catalonian channel RAC1 on Tuesday with rivals Toni Freixa and Victor Font.
‘If I don’t win, I am sure that Leo will not stay at Barcelona.
‘Messi will weigh up the offer we make him. I’m convinced that if the other candidates win, Messi will not remain at Barcelona. He wasn’t happy during Freixa’s time on the board.’
Messi almost sensationally quit last summer in the wake of Barcelona’s humiliating 8-2 defeat by Bayern Munich after growing disillusioned with proceedings both on and off the pitch.
Credit: dailymail.co.uk
The post Messi will leave Barcelona if I’m not elected president …Joan Laporta warns appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS