Barcelona chief says Joan Laporta was right to reject La Liga’s ‘poisoned gift’ and to offload Lionel Messi

Barcelona’s economic vice president Eduard Romeu has backed Joan Laporta’s decision over Lionel Messi.

Messi left Barca this summer after 21 years at the club after his contract was allowed to expire.

It had seemed as though a stay was on the cards, but Barca allowed the Argentine to leave and join PSG after deciding not to take La Liga’s CVC deal.

Many felt that was the wrong decision, but the club’s vice president of economics, Romeu, has said that his department recommended the course of action that was eventually taken to protect Barcelona’s long-term future.

He told Sport: “It was an operation that, as a club, we could not allow, it didn’t fit in our economic structure.

“They gave us the option of doing it with the CVC contract, yes, but it was a poisoned gift that from an economic standpoint, we recommended not to accept.

“It would have put the institution at risk and as the president has already said, nobody can be above the club. He took the correct decision.”

Barcelona were one of three teams to reject the CVC offer, which paid clubs a large sum of cash upfront in exchange for 10% of future TV revenues.

Real Madrid and Athletic Club also stayed away, meaning those clubs did not receive the money, but nor will they have to give up any future profits.

It also meant, however, that Barca had to give up Messi, a decision that could prove to be a pivotal point in Laporta‘s second spell in charge of the club.