Laporta: Messi not treated right by Barcelona board

Posted Friday, July 22, 2016 by Marca.com

Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has criticised the club's board for failing to live up to Lionel Messi's talent on the pitch.

Having taken over in 2003, Laporta oversaw the building and early results of the most successful spell in Barcelona's recent history, before stepping down seven years later.

After a mid-season crisis in 2014/15 meant new presidential elections were called for last summer, Laporta stood again but was beaten to the post by Josep Maria Bartomeu.

In an interview with Catalunya Radio, Laporta was not very complimentary of the way Bartomeu is running the club, insisting they should be doing more to live up to Messi.

"The club has not lived up to Messi's standard," he said.

"He is the best player in history, the best in the world."

Bartomeu had failed to deliver on one of his electoral campaign promises when signing a new sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways recently, which will see the club receive just over half the amount originally claimed by the president, according to his former rival.

"He lied, he said in his campaign he would sign a deal worth 60 million euros," Laporta continued.

"I don't understand this, there is always a shadow of suspicion with them."