Joan Gaspart criticises Lionel Messi: "Barcelona is above him"
Gaspart, Barcelona president from 2000–2003, warned Messi not to set terms for a Camp Nou goodbye and said he might skip any farewell held only after Joan Laporta leaves.
Former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart launched a sharp public rebuke at Lionel Messi on October 13, 2026, questioning the Argentine's attitude toward his old club and warning against any attempt to condition a farewell appearance at Camp Nou.
Gaspart: "Barcelona is above him"
Gaspart — who led Barcelona from 2000 to 2003 and was club president when Messi arrived as a 13‑year‑old — spoke on the Sólo para Culés TV podcast and made clear he believes Messi should not set demands for a goodbye match. "As a footballer, Messi is indisputable, the best in the world. But there is something he must not forget, and that is that Barcelona is above him. Let him be careful. I say this out of love for the player I brought when he was 13 and I was president of Barcelona. He is a great player, but partly he owes that to Barcelona. He must not forget that," Gaspart said.
What particularly annoyed Gaspart was the suggestion that Messi could make a farewell visit to Barcelona conditional on the departure of the club's current president, Joan Laporta. Messi left Barcelona in 2021 after failing to reach an agreement with the then leadership, and he has not yet had an official send‑off in front of Barcelona supporters.
"I'll give him a little more time, but the day will come when I'll start to resent it if Messi creates problems about coming to Barcelona to say goodbye to the supporters. Who does he think he is? He cannot condition his farewell on Laporta no longer being president," Gaspart added.
Gaspart even said he personally would not attend a possible farewell match if it were held only after Laporta left office, though there is no confirmation Messi has formally demanded such a condition. His remarks reflect his own view of the relationship between the Argentine and the club's current leadership.
During the conversation Gaspart also shared a lighter anecdote about his grandchildren: when offered a choice which player's name to put on a Barcelona shirt, all four allegedly picked Lamine Yamal rather than Messi, and one asked who the other player was.
Messi played for Barcelona's first team from 2004 to 2021, winning ten La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League trophies. After leaving the Catalan club he joined Paris Saint‑Germain and, since 2023, plays for Inter Miami. The circumstances of his departure and his relationship with Laporta remain topics of debate, and an official farewell match has yet to take place.
Photo: Inter Majami H
