LaLiga president Javier Tebas has denied the claims made by Xavi Hernandez relating to the failed return of Lionel Messi to FC Barcelona in 2023.
Over the weekend, Xavi granted an explosive interview to La Vanguardia, throughout which he sensationally said that Messi’s return to the membership was all however secured, just for Joan Laporta to tug the plug on it.
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The previous supervisor went so far as claiming that there had been a inexperienced gentle from La Liga for the operation as effectively, provided that Barça’s Monetary Honest Play scenario on the time was fairly dire.
“The president started negotiating the contract with Leo’s father, and we had the inexperienced gentle from La Liga, however it was the president who threw all of it away,” Xavi mentioned.
“Laporta advised me, phrase for phrase, that if Leo got here again, he would wage conflict on him and that he couldn’t enable that to occur,” he added.
Tebas denies Xavi’s declare
Nonetheless, Tebas, in an interview on Telediario (h/t ), asserted that La Liga by no means granted authorisation for the Messi return operation and rejected the concept there had been monetary approval as talked about by Xavi.
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“It’s not true. La Liga didn’t authorise something in any respect, nor did it have the OK,” said the La Liga chief.
Xavi had claimed that La Liga had accepted Messi’s return. (Picture by Fran Santiago/Getty Photographs)
Tebas’ assertion utterly contradicts what Xavi said throughout his interview, which got here per week away from the Barcelona presidential elections, wherein the previous supervisor has endorsed Victor Font – Laporta’s opposition.
What has Laporta mentioned
Laporta, for his half, maintained through the electoral debate earlier at the moment that Messi’s return didn’t materialise as a result of the previous captain opted to not return.
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“It was the identical with Messi: after we couldn’t renew his contract, resulting from monetary causes, in 2023 he advised me that Messi wished to return,” .
“I despatched the contract to Jorge Messi, who later got here to my home and advised me that he would have an excessive amount of right here – ‘strain,’” he additional revealed.
Furthermore, the ex-president additionally hit out at Xavi, claiming that he was being utilized by Font within the electoral race.
“Behind Xavi, there may be somebody who’s utilizing him, and that’s Victor Font. He’s making an attempt to muddy the waters,” Laporta claimed.