Laporta: I’ll call Messi’s father tonight!

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 19 May 2021 11:39 BST
• 4 min read

Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta has boasted of the influence he holds in getting Lionel Messi to stay were he to return to the club.

Sunday was election day in Catalunya and saw Barcelona club members cast their vote for who will be the Blaugrana’s next president.

Laporta, who previously held the top job from 2003 until 2010, is one of three candidates for the role along with Victor Font and Toni Freixa.

Laporta is regarded as the favourite but is expected to face tough competition from Font.

The strongest card in Laporta’s favour is his good relationship with Messi, who is in danger of quitting the club this summer when his contract expires.

Messi infamously fell out with the club and former president Josep Maria Bartomeu and publicly declared last summer that he wished to leave.

Messi: Barcelona statistics in 2020/21

He eventually decided to stay and see out his contract but relations have soured further in recent weeks after it was alleged that Barcelona hired a number of social media communication companies to conduct a smear campaign against him.

This led to Barcelona’s offices being raided by police and Bartomeu being detained earlier this week.

But when Laporta arrived to cast his vote on Sunday morning, he appeared confident that he could get Messi to stay if he returns to power.

Asked by reporters if he would be calling Messi’s father Jorge tomorrow to sort out Leo’s future, Laporta replied: “Why tomorrow? I can speak tonight, the night is long.”

The results from the election are expected to be announced either late on Sunday evening or early Monday morning in Spain.