Joan Laporta made claims last week that Barca management disappointed their superstar Lionel Messi, by not accompanying him to the court during his trials for an alleged tax fraud case. The trials which included Messi’s father got both defendants, a 12-month jail term each–including fines and an option to appeal the judgement.
Image: Lionel Messi
Joan has also revealed in the past that there are a set of executives in Barca who are working hard to push the Argentine out of La Blaugranas, adding in a previous statement on Neymar’s tax fraud judgement, that “Barcelona should be in jail if it were a person”.
“There are certain powers [at Barca] who want Messi to no longer be a Barca player,” he told Catalunya Radio according to Football Espana.
“What the justice system says is respectable, but what’s clear is that Messi pays his taxes and pays a lot [into the Spanish state].
“For me, Barca are more than a club, whom I had the honor of leading.
“[My] model worked because it made the club more recognizable and beloved. Unfortunately, that’s not the case anymore.
“[Barca’s pact with prosecutors over Neymar] is shameful, sinister and has tarnished the club forever.
“[On the club’s quest for a new sponsor, Bartomeu’s regime] said in the last election campaign that they’d sign a sponsorship [deal] worth €60m, which seemed little even then.
“There’s a shadow of suspicion in their agreement [with Qatar]. They are paying the club less than they should be, in my opinion.”
