We’re entering a phase of he said-she said in the Barcelona presidential elections.
Club legend Xavi got involved in the competition between Joan Laporta and Victor Font by backing the latter publicly, and then going further.
A player and coach under Laporta, Xavi has since hit his former employer where it hurts, saying he blocked the return of Lionel Messi in 2023.
According to leading journalist Sique Rodríguez, Messi’s people have backed up his old teammate’s claims.
“What Messi’s entourage is saying is that the truth is slowly coming out, and there’s still more to come,” he said.
“Messi accepts Xavi’s version of events. According to what his inner circle is saying, yes.”
However, LaLiga president Javier Tebas has now poured scorn over Xavi’s claims.
Reacting to the midfielder saying LaLiga had approved the deal only for Laporta to call it off, Tebas said: “It’s not true.
“LaLiga did not authorise anything at all, nor did it give the OK.”
What did Xavi say?
The back-and-forth comes after Xavi’s bombshell comments against Laporta.
“Leo was signed,” he said, referring to his time as head coach in 2023.
“He told me he was eager to return, and I could see it.
“We had the green light from LaLiga, it was Laporta who threw everything back down.
“He said it would cause a stir, and that couldn’t be allowed.”
How this will impact the election on March 15th remains unclear, but it’s hard to doubt Tebas who doesn’t have a vested interest unlike Xavi.
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