Xavi accuses Joan Laporta of blocking Lionel Messi’s Barcelona return

Xavi launches a direct accusation at Joan Laporta, alleging the Barcelona president personally blocked Lionel Messi’s return to the club.

In recent months, multiple voices around the club have hinted that Messi’s comeback in 2023 was far closer than officially admitted, only to collapse in a swirl of financial, institutional, and ego-driven obstacles.

Now, Xavi has gone a step further, directly challenging the version of events presented by the Barcelona president.

Xavi has accused Joan Laporta of actively derailing Messi’s possible return, claiming that the president told him that if Leo came back, he would “wage war on him,” as reported by Diario Sport.

According to the former Barça coach, this went far beyond simple financial prudence or La Liga registration issues and entered the realm of personal conflict and power.

In Xavi’s telling, Laporta feared that Messi’s presence would overshadow him and destabilize the internal balance of the club, turning any sporting or institutional setback into a confrontation with the Argentina legend.

The former coach suggests that in private conversations, he was initially encouraged to believe that Messi’s homecoming was realistic and even a priority, only to discover later that the board’s true stance was far more ambiguous.

For Xavi, this felt like a betrayal on two levels: towards Messi, who was emotionally ready for a return, and towards himself, as he had publicly defended the club’s line and helped sustain the hope of the fanbase.

His words hint at deep fractures between the sporting project he envisioned and the political calculus of the presidency.

Xavi’s accusations portray Laporta as a leader willing to weaponise Messi’s legacy rather than protect it, raising questions about how much personal pride and control have shaped key decisions.

Whatever the nuances behind closed doors, the relationship between the three pillars of modern Barça — Laporta, Xavi, and Messi — now looks more fragile, and the club must navigate this storm while trying to move forward without its greatest ever player.