What's the real reason Lionel Messi left Barcelona? Answers demanded of Joan Laporta as presidential candidate accuses club of 'lying' about financial mess

The foundations of Laporta’s presidency have come under renewed fire following the publication of the “Economic X-ray of FC Barcelona (2005-2025)” report - a detailed, independent analysis presented at the Foment de Treball headquarters in Barcelona. Commissioned by Vilajoana, a former Barca director and now potential presidential challenger, the study paints a worrying picture of the club’s financial trajectory. According to the report, Barcelona’s total debt has reached €4.12 billion, the highest in European football history, marking a 293% increase since 2021.

It directly challenges Laporta’s long-standing narrative that his administration “saved” the club from economic collapse. The report claims that even excluding the Espai Barca project €2.82 billion, operational and financial debts still exceed €1.3 billion - more than what Laporta inherited from Josep Maria Bartomeu’s regime.

Perhaps most damningly, it accuses the club of using €929 million from asset sales (TV rights, Barca Studios, VIP seats) to finance everyday operations rather than long-term recovery - a strategy that Vilajoana calls “deceptive and unsustainable.”

As pressure mounts, Vilajoana has demanded answers from Laporta, insisting that the club’s financial story has been “twisted to mislead members.”

Speaking during the report’s presentation, Vilajoana issued a scathing assessment of how the Laporta administration has handled finances, membership relations, and transparency.

He accused the board of covering up a worsening financial situation, saying: “In these four years, Laporta has sold nearly €900 million of inherited assets. Without that inheritance, accumulated losses would already exceed €1 billion, a figure equivalent to the total value of the current first-team squad.

“The economic data reveal a situation far more delicate than the president has publicly admitted. The study detects accounting manipulation practices intended to present a recovery that does not match the Club’s financial reality.

“In total, more than €380 million would have been included in the accounts without a real basis, altering the perception of debt and results. These operations do not reduce actual debt; they only hide it. Pretending the numbers balance is not saving the club, it is deceiving it."

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Among the most striking claims in Vilajoana’s report is the suggestion that Messi’s departure may not have been purely financial. The former Barca director called on Laporta to “finally tell the truth” about why the Argentine legend was allowed to leave.

“Messi’s departure was based on financial reasons. It was said that the club couldn't afford the best player in the world. If the reason was financial, I don't see it anywhere now,” Vilajoana stated. “Let Laporta tell us the real reason why Messi was let go. Messi should be left alone. The club is his home, regardless of the president. It would be a mistake to try to take over a figure like him.”

He also used the report to highlight cuts to La Masia, which he argues have jeopardised Barcelona’s most reliable long-term asset: “Laporta lives off La Masia’s successes while reducing investment. Since his term began, he has cut La Masia’s investment from €40m to €25m. If we are to learn anything from this economic disaster, it’s that La Masia is Barca’s best asset.”

While the report sharply criticises the club’s leadership, Vilajoana’s message was not one of despair but of renewal. He announced that he will formally present his electoral project on November 27, outlining an alternative vision built on transparency, accountability, and youth development. 

“If I run, it will be with the intention of proposing, explaining, and persuading,” he said. “I don't like 'Frankenstein' projects everyone should forge their own path. I'm going to work on mine.”

Closing his address, Vilajoana expressed cautious optimism that the club can recover if leadership changes course: “I’m optimistic because we’ll deal with it when we can. Barca has a solution, but it requires will and responsibility. What we can’t do is say that everything is fantastic for four years.”

As Barcelona prepare for next summer’s elections, the controversy surrounding Messi’s departure and Laporta’s financial stewardship is certain to dominate the campaign trail. Whether Laporta chooses to respond to the accusations or continue to deflect remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Barca’s financial narrative is once again under the microscope.