TThe tears in that press room still resonate at Camp Nou.
Four years later, Barcelona presidential candidate Xavier Vilajoana says there was no need for Lionel Messi to leave in 2021.
Speaking to World Soccer Talk, Vilajoana claimed the club could have renewed Messi’s contract by June 30, 2021. According to him, not doing so changed everything. From that date, Messi will be treated as a new player under La Liga’s financial management rules, making registration even more complicated.
FC Barcelona officially confirmed Messi’s departure on August 5, 2021, citing financial and structural obstacles related to La Liga regulations. La Liga president Javier Tebas later reiterated that Barra had exceeded the permissible salary and could not be given a new contract without a significant reduction.
Mr. Vilajoana’s argument focuses on timing. He believes that renewing Messi before the end of the financial year would have changed the way the contract is calculated within the salary cap framework. His main argument is that the main error was procedural rather than purely financial.
Gabi receives a friendly hit from his FC Barcelona teammates on his return
“Without a doubt, yes – Messi could be renewed…
A decision that defined an era
Messi’s departure ended his 21-year association with the club. Within days, Paris Saint-Germain announced his signing. In 2023, he moved to Inter Miami, ending his European branch.
At the time, Joan Laporta claimed the club had no other option. He explained that Barcelona’s financial realities made it impossible to renew his contract unless the club accepted La Liga’s proposed CVC investment deal, which would have seen it sell part of its future media rights. Barcelona refused.
Financial reports presented to members revealed huge losses and the activation of so-called economic levers. The club sold off some of its future revenue streams to stabilize its accounts and gradually regain flexibility. Barcelona recently reverted to La Liga’s 1:1 spending rule, allowing them to spend one euro for every euro they save or win. This is a significant change from the restrictive 1v4 rule that was in place at the time of Messi’s departure.
“Here’s what this board (Laporta’s board) has done in recent years: Since they took office, they have failed to apply the one-to-one rule and have accumulated losses of nearly 300 million yen, while selling assets and bringing forward 900 million worth of proceeds…
Vilajoana said cumulative losses in recent years were nearly 300 million and unearned revenue was nearly 900 million. These figures are consistent with financial information published by the club.
Election context changes the conversation
Barcelona’s 141,390 members will elect a new president in March. Mr. Laporta is seeking re-election. Mr. Vilajoana has served on Barra’s board under several presidents, but he positions himself as an alternative vision.
Messi’s argument resonates because it represents more than a contractual dispute. This represents the end of Barcelona’s dominant era and the beginning of a rebuilding phase centered around youth players such as Lamine Yamal.
“It’s not an opinion, it’s an official figure for the club…This board has been unable to rethink the model for many years…
Mr. Vilajoana did not soften his words when addressing the issue. “Absolutely, yes. Messi could have been renewed,” he said, adding that failure to act before the June 30 deadline was “negligent”.
The current debate focuses on whether the crisis was inevitable or mishandled.
Analysts in Spanish sports media have long argued that inherited debt and wage commitments leave little room for maneuver in 2021. Others believe clubs could have had more flexibility if they had planned earlier.
Barcelona heading into March
The presidential campaign will intensify in the coming months. Messi’s departure, once thought to be over, is back at the center of debate.
The problem is that (Messi’s) contract was not renewed until June 30, 2021. From that point on, he had a new contract. This is a very important element. Because from there, the 1+1 rule started to apply in a different way.
Laporta continues to defend the 2021 decision as necessary to protect the club’s long-term viability. Vilajoana presents it as a missed opportunity rooted in timing and strategy.
Barcelona’s members will soon decide which interpretation will shape the next chapter of the club’s history.
“An attempt was made to renew (Messi) as a new player. This was negligence on the part of the president (Joan Laporta) and the board. Negligence…”
This article is based on Xavier Vilajoana’s statements to World Soccer Talk, FC Barcelona’s official communications for August 2021, La Liga’s financial regulations, and publicly released club financial reports. Additional situational information comes from established sports media coverage in Spain and Europe.
