Joan Laporta: "I didn't know Messi was going to Camp Nou. My relationship with him is good."

Joan Laporta breaks his silence after Leo Messi's whirlwind visit to Barcelona and the new Camp Nou. The Barça president admitted he knew nothing about the legend's visit, but said that "Camp Nou is his home." "It was a spontaneous act, a true Barça gesture. I think it was a charming outburst," he said. However, in an interview with The morning of Catalunya RàdioHe confessed to not having sent him any messages after the visit and said that his relationship with him is "correct": "He plays for Inter Miami, but he will always be loved by all Barcelona fans." Regarding a possible tribute to the Argentine to inaugurate the stadium, once Camp Nou is at its full capacity of 105,000 spectators, Laporta has shown himself open to it, although he assured that for the moment they are working to finish the construction. In any case, the president admits that the striker's departure from Barça "was not as I would have liked" but insists that he "does not regret it," since "nothing and no one is above Barça." On the other hand, regarding a possible return of the footballer to play for Barça, even if only for six months – and thus put an end to his professional career – Laporta says that "making these speculations is not realistic." Laporta gives clues as to when the Barça elections will be held

Laporta's term ends this season, and he has decided to run for re-election. The question is when the elections will be held. The president hasn't answered the question, although he has hinted, as reported by ARA, that he is considering holding them as soon as possible. According to the club's statutes, they must take place between March 15th and June 15th. But he doesn't want them to coincide with a hypothetical Champions League semi-final – scheduled for May. Thus, although he hasn't explicitly stated it, it's understood that the elections could be before Sant Jordi's Day.

The interview took place at Camp Nou, the stadium that reopened its doors on Friday to host a first-team training session. "The third tier is progressing very well. The expectation is that it will be operational at the beginning of next season." The first official match could be played much sooner. The club wanted it to be this November, but there are no guarantees, and that's why the president has declined to give any specific date. In any case, and despite the delays, he defended the choice of the construction company Limak and said he "would choose the Turkish firm again."

Laporta supports Lamine Yamal

The other topic of debate is the management of Lamine Yamal and the conflict with the Spanish national team. Laporta's version is that the doctor prescribed the treatment on Monday, and they informed the national team at that time. "We don't want any trouble with them, but we're taking care of the player as best we can, and we want him available. We have to do our own thing and look after our own interests." On another note, Laporta admitted that relations with Real Madrid "aren't good," which he attributes mainly to the Negreira case, in which the Madrid club has joined the prosecution. Also, regarding Real Madrid, which is on the path to becoming a public limited company, the Barça president asserted that while he is in the presidential box, this will not happen at Barça. "We are a Catalan institution, open to the world, with very clear values: defending a country and a language. Barça cannot be reduced to a public limited sports company. The current board of directors is the guarantor of the ownership model."