Laporta's Book Lifts the Lid on Messi's Exit, Xavi's Sushi Dinner and Koeman's Brutal Sacking

Joan Laporta has written a book — Así salvamos al Barça — and, honestly, it’s the kind of thing that makes you wish you could read Spanish faster. The outgoing Barça president and current pre-candidate has basically opened the filing cabinet and let everything spill out onto the floor.

The Messi Saga (Again, Yes, Again)

Let’s start with the big one. Laporta goes into detail about two attempts to keep or bring back Leo Messi — and both ended in heartbreak.

When the 2021 renewal collapsed, Barça apparently cooked up a wild scheme involving a long-term deal split between playing at the Camp Nou and then heading to MLS on loan — essentially trying to sidestep LaLiga’s financial rules. La Liga told them to forget it.
Then came the CVC saga: selling 50 years’ worth of TV rights to plug the gap. Barça walked away from that too, and Messi walked out the door.

The second chapter is arguably sadder. When Messi’s time at PSG ended, Jorge Messi came round to Laporta’s gaff. A contract draft was sent over. Then… nothing. A week passed. Two weeks. A month. Eventually Jorge came back and said Leo was off to Inter Miami — somewhere with less pressure. You can’t really argue with that logic, to be fair.

Koeman Gets the Hairdryer

Laporta doesn’t spare Ronald Koeman either. The Dutchman apparently came in with his agent and asked point-blank whether he was still Laporta’s manager. The president’s reply was something along the lines of: “Ronald, you’re a legend, I cried at Wembley — but no, you’re not my manager.” Koeman, unsurprisingly, did not take it well.

The Xavi Merry-Go-Round

This section alone is worth the price of the book. The infamous sushi dinner at Laporta’s home — where Xavi reversed his decision to leave — gets a full airing:

Xavi said he wanted to stay and promised he’d make the team champions “100%”
Days later he told the press Barça wouldn’t be competitive for two years
Laporta, hospitalised with a false pneumonia diagnosis, received a visit from Xavi — who turned up in disguise, wearing a cap — saying he believed in the squad
The very next day, Xavi told sporting director Deco they needed to shift a load of players
That was enough. Laporta, Rafa Yuste and Deco sat him down at the training ground and called time on it

It’s the kind of subplot that’d feel far-fetched in a Netflix drama, let alone real life.

Negreira and a Dig at Madrid

On the Negreira case — where Barça are accused of making payments to a refereeing official — Laporta goes on the front foot and challenges anyone to name a specific match, goal or incident that was influenced. He also takes a hefty swing at Real Madrid, claiming their members and ex-officials effectively appointed referees for decades. Strong words, and ones that’ll keep the debate bubbling.

The Super League and Limak

Two other topics get the Laporta treatment:

Super League: He admits he wasn’t sure at first, but came round when he saw the potential revenue — reportedly €700 million — before Barça ultimately stepped back
Limak: The controversial choice of a Turkish construction firm for the Camp Nou renovation is defended on technical and contractual grounds, with Laporta insisting the tender process was transparent and properly supervised

Whether you think Laporta’s been a brilliant president or a blagging merchant who got lucky, this book sounds like a proper page-turner. Plenty here to keep the Culers talking for weeks.