Joan Gaspart admits he went too far in his comments about Messi

Joan Gaspart has admitted that he went too far in his comments about Messi. “I sent Leo a message and, because I love him so much… I went too far, I went too far,” he said on the “Sólo Para Culés” podcast.

A few days after his initial remarks, the former executive sought to clarify them. He had told Messi: “I say this out of the historic affection I have for a player I signed when he was 13 and I was president of Barça. He should be careful. Barça is above him.”

Gaspart also argued that Messi should be able to say goodbye to the club regardless of who holds the presidency. “Whoever the president is, Messi should come and say goodbye to Barça,” he said. He added that if the player waited until Laporta was no longer president to come, he himself would not attend the tribute.

Asked whether he would apologise to Messi, Gaspart replied that he had never apologised to his children when reprimanding them. His remarks drew criticism: David Sánchez said Gaspart was “a thousand floors below Leo in Barça’s history” and argued that he was “nobody to say that to him”.