"It represented something we did not know how to solve well" - Barcelona president Joan Laporta takes responsibility for Lionel Messi's departure to PSG

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has borne the responsibility for Lionel Messi's shocking exit from Camp Nou to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) last summer. The Spaniard, while regretful of the Argentine's departure, added that he did not have many other options.

Lionel Messi joined Barcelona at the tender age of 13 and spent his entire professional career at the La Liga outfit until he left in 2021. He won a club record of 35 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles, and four UEFA Champions League trophies.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner had a prolific and extensive career in Catalonia and is considered a Barcelona legend.

The Blaugrana were unable to keep Lionel Messi at the club due to their massive financial issues. The Spanish outfit had a mammoth €1.35 billion debt to deal with, which rendered them helpless in their efforts to renew their revered captain's contract.

When asked about how Messi's departure affected Laporta on a personal level, the president said (via Barca Universal):

“A lot. At an institutional level, it represented something we did not know how to solve well. Here I take responsibility, even though I didn’t have many options either. The truth is that it is an issue that has always left me with the feeling that we could have resolved better."

Praising the Argentine's exceptional talent, he added:

“On a sporting level, having a player as talented as Leo Messi is always very good, he is the best player in the world."

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Barcelona fans go to court to contest Lionel Messi's move to PSG

The Guardian reported last month (October) that a small group of Barcelona fans had taken legal action over Lionel Messi's transfer to PSG.

Lawyers representing these supporters appeared before the court to argue that the Argentine's transfer broke certain European laws. The representatives then implored the European Commission to investigate the transfer.

According to the outlet, an original claim against the European Commission had already been put forth and was rejected. Therefore, this hearing, which lasted for three hours, was in effect an appeal.

The outlet also reports that a verdict is expected next month (December).

Lionel Messi is certainly enjoying life at PSG this season, which may upset some Blaugrana fans. He has scored 12 goals and provided 14 assists in just 19 appearances across competitions for the Parisians this term.

The PSG forward seems to be in stellar form ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.