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- The previous president of FC Barcelona Joan Laporta has revealed the membership rejected a $300 million bid from Inter Milan for Lionel Messi in 2006.
- Laporta, who’s working for president once more in January, additionally believes he can persuade Messi to remain on the membership, regardless of the Argentine handing in a switch request in the summertime.
- “Messi loves Barca and I do know that he’ll give us the possibility to have a dialog to assist him resolve one of the best for him and for Barca,” he stated.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
The previous president of FC Barcelona Joan Laporta has revealed the membership rejected a $300 million bid from Inter Milan for Lionel Messi in 2006.
Laporta, who’s working once more for president in Barcelona’s upcoming election, additionally believes he can persuade Messi to stay on the Camp Nou, regardless of the Argentine star handing in a switch request in the summertime and being out of contract in June 2020.
“Messi needed to go away as a result of he was very disillusioned with how [the previous board] handled him,” Laporta, who served as Barca’s president between 2003 and 2010, said in a news conference on Monday.
“If there had been elections earlier, perhaps we’d not be on this scenario.”
Messi had publicly fallen out with former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who resigned in October.
“Messi loves Barca and I do know that he’ll give us the possibility to have a dialog to assist him resolve one of the best for him and for Barca, though we have not spoken but,” Laporta continued.
“I do know he has presents from different golf equipment, however he all the time has. [Former Inter owner Massimo] Moratti needed to pay €250m [$299 million] for him in 2006 and I stated no.”
Messi would have been both 18 or 19 years outdated in 2006, relying on the date of Inter’s bid.
“Messi and his household are joyful right here, in Catalonia, they just like the life they’ve in Barcelona, in Castelldefels. It isn’t a query of cash, we simply must be as much as scratch as a membership.
“One of the best factor for him is to attend and see who wins the elections and what they suggest. I feel Messi, with a superb proposal, would select Barca.
“He is aware of me, he is aware of us, how we work, how we deal with the gamers. If there’s one factor I’m happy with, it is all the time protecting my phrase, which he is aware of from working collectively earlier than.”
Barcelona’s elections will happen on January 24. Laporta will face competitors from Jordi Farre, Toni Freixa, and Lluis Fernandez for the presidency.
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