Josep Maria Bartomeu discusses Lionel Messi's departure from Barcelona and the ongoing Negreira case in a recent interview. He reflects on his controversial presidency and acknowledges his mistakes during his tenure.
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Josep Maria Bartomeu talks Messi, Negreira case, his worst Barcelona mistake
Josep Maria Bartomeu is not a popular figure at Barcelona, at least not anymore, having been accused of multiple counts of corruption, which is coupled with the financial mismanagement of the club.
However, the former Barcelona president has never been shy about coming out in public to talk about his controversial time at the club.
In a recent interview with Cadena SER (h/t SPORT), Bartomeu talked about Messiâs time at the club and his eventual departure, as well as the Negreira case, among others.
Bartomeu was firm in his defence of the decision to keep Messi at the club despite the famous burofax requesting to leave.
âIâm very happy that Messi stayed with us; I would have kept him until the Qatar World Cup,â he said, adding that contract renewal talks had already been underway with the Argentine, who has recently purchased a stake in Spanish club Cornella.
âI tried to renew Leo Messiâs contract; it was essential to maintain our income level and because we were missing that player who brings a higher level of performance,â he added.
He also revealed that a move to Miami for both Messi and Luis Suarez had been discussed long before it eventually happened. âThere had already been talk of a stint in Miami with both Messi and Luis Suarez,â he said.
Josep Maria Bartomeu discussed Lionel Messi's time at Barcelona and his eventual departure, expressing insights into the circumstances surrounding it.
The Negreira case involves allegations of corruption against Barcelona during Bartomeu's presidency, which has raised significant controversy.
In the interview, Bartomeu reflects on his presidency and acknowledges that he made several mistakes, though he does not specify which one he considers the worst.
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Laporta wanted Messi to stay. (Photo by Marcos Brindicci/Getty Images)
On the current Barcelona squad, Bartomeu offered a telling reflection. âAll these young players on the team, with Leo, would have learned faster. They are learning a lot, but they would have done so more quickly.â
âOne or two more seasons at Barça, at least until the World Cup, would have been very positive for Barça,â he added. âHe won a World Cup and another Ballon dâOr, and we couldnât enjoy him as Barça fans; PSG did.â
Bartomeu was equally firm in distancing the club from any wrongdoing in the Negreira case, suggesting that the club only paid a company that produced reports.
âThe reporting service has nothing to do with whether Barça had better or worse refereeing. We didnât pay the vice president of the refereesâ committee; we paid a company that produced reports,â he said.
Finally, Bartomeu identified one decision he would reverse. âMy biggest mistake was not rising to the occasion when it came to firing Zubizarreta; if I could look back, as president I wouldnât have made that decision,â he concluded.