Former Barcelona Executive Explains Messi Situation and Neymar's Departure

Former Barcelona VP Jordi Mestre discusses in an interview the connections between Joan Laporta, Lionel Messi, and Neymar.

Former Barcelona vice-president Jordi Mestre, who served in the role between 2015 and 2019, has given an extensive interview discussing key connections between current club president Joan Laporta and two former club legends, Lionel Messi and Neymar.

The former senior club executive stated that the Argentine icon and Laporta are not on good terms.

He also advocated for the bold idea of naming one of the stands at the renovated Spotify Camp Nou after Messi.

“Everything we can do for Leo Messi will be too little compared to what he gave us. I don't know if it's unique, because life is very long, but he was impressive not only sportingly but also financially. Tours with him were one thing, and without him, quite another," he said.

"He earned a good salary but also brought a lot of money to the club. There were players who came to the club because they wanted to be alongside him. We're talking about world-class stars. And that happened overnight. I've heard from third parties that Leo Messi and his family are very, very angry with Laporta. Very,” Mestre revealed.

The Argentine was forced to leave Barcelona in the summer of 2021 when the club was in a difficult financial situation and ultimately couldn't offer him a contract, despite Joan Laporta's assurances that he would be retained.

The former director went further, stating that the tribute to Lionel Messi should go beyond a potential testimonial match, and his name should be immortalized for future generations.

“I don't know what they think at the club, but nothing will be enough. I would do something historic. For example, I would name one of the stands after Leo Messi, to pass his name down from generation to generation,” the former executive declared.

He then addressed the situation with Neymar, who was part of Barcelona for four seasons but moved to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017 for a record 220 million euros when his release clause was paid.

“I feel terrible that things didn't work out with Neymar because he was an exceptional player. He was supposed to be Leo Messi's successor. Later, he told me he wanted to come back, and I understand him because he was doing very well. In one-on-one situations, it's one thing when you have Messi, but quite another when you have Messi and Neymar; that's a completely different story.

"When he left, no one knew, not even his teammates. I spoke with one of the very important players on the team, and he told me they were together at Leo Messi's table, Neymar was also there, and he said nothing about leaving. That's why I said I was 200 percent sure he was staying. Later, over time, I pieced together his departure, with the involvement of Pini Zahavi.

And now we know who he is close friends with, and that's all I can say. We won a lawsuit against Neymar in the appeals court for 16 million euros, and Laporta went to Israel to speak with Pini Zahavi, and the two reached an agreement when Barça won that case,” Jordi Mestre stated.