Gaspart Backtracks After Messi Attack — But Stops Short of an Apology
Joan Gaspart has walked back his brutal public attack on Lionel Messi, admitting on the '¡Sólo para Culés' podcast that he 'went too far' — while stopping conspicuously short of an apology. The former Barcelona president's core claim, that the club is bigger than Messi, remains unchanged.
The climbdown
Joan Gaspart has blinked. Days after his brutal public rant at Lionel Messi, the former Barcelona president returned to the '¡Sólo para Culés' podcast to walk back his remarks — while stopping conspicuously short of an apology.
Pressed by Jota Jordi on whether he would ask Messi for forgiveness, Gaspart refused. He said he had never asked his own children for forgiveness when reproaching them for what he believed was best for them, and framed his affection for Messi as beyond question — no one, he suggested, could love the Argentine more than he does.
He did concede he had overstepped. 'I sent a message to Leo, and because I love him so much... I went too far, I went too far,' he said, adding: 'Telling him 'we love you very much, but Barça is bigger than you.' It could have ended there.'
The substance of his position, however, did not move an inch. The core claim — that Barcelona is bigger than Messi — remains his line. He admitted fault in the delivery, not the message, and offered no apology.
What he said the first time
The climbdown only makes sense against the scale of the original attack. Appearing on the same podcast earlier in the week, Gaspart — who was Barcelona president from July 2000 to February 2003 and the man who signed a 13-year-old Messi — warned the Argentine that 'Messi should be careful' and insisted the club stands above any individual.
He went further, turning on the long-delayed Camp Nou farewell that has been frozen for five years. Whoever the president is, Gaspart said, Messi should come and say goodbye to Barcelona — and if the Argentine would only return for a tribute once Joan Laporta is no longer president, Gaspart himself would refuse to attend: 'I wouldn't go to that tribute.'
The sharpest line — 'Who does he think he is?' — travelled around the football world within hours. Gaspart said he was speaking out of the historic affection he holds for the player he brought to La Masia as a boy. Messi's camp, notably, has said nothing at all.
The farewell that never happened
At the heart of the row is the goodbye Messi never got. His tearful exit in August 2021 — forced by Barcelona's financial collapse and La Liga's salary rules after he had agreed to a 50 percent pay cut — left the club's greatest ever player without a farewell in front of his own supporters.
Five years on, the standoff is really about Joan Laporta. Messi and the current president are widely reported to have a cold, strained relationship, and speculation persists that the Argentine will not return to Camp Nou while Laporta remains in charge. Laporta has repeatedly pledged to stage a tribute — and even erect a statue — once the renovated stadium fully reopens, but Messi has kept his distance from the current regime.
Earlier this year, former teammate Xavi Hernández added fuel by accusing Laporta of sabotaging Messi's potential 2023 return. Gaspart's intervention, and now his half-retreat, shows how raw the wound still is — for the club's former leadership, at least.
Why the timing stings
The row has erupted just as Messi closed the international chapter of his career. On October 6 he captained Argentina for the last time, in the 3-0 friendly win over Benin in Buenos Aires, and is now devoted entirely to Inter Miami, where his contract runs to late 2028.
For Barcelona supporters, the contrast is painful: their greatest player received an emotional national-team farewell at the Monumental, while the Camp Nou goodbye remains hostage to boardroom politics. Gaspart's demand — that Messi separate the fans from the presidency — speaks to exactly that frustration, even if its delivery has now been disowned by its own author.
What happens next
Nothing is resolved. Gaspart has softened his tone but not his position; Messi has offered no response; and the tribute remains unscheduled. Until the Argentine and the club's leadership find a way past each other, the farewell will stay where it has been for five years: overdue.
Questions people ask
Who is Joan Gaspart?
He was president of FC Barcelona from July 2000 to February 2003, and the man in charge when the club signed a 13-year-old Lionel Messi.
What did Gaspart originally say about Messi?
On the '¡Sólo para Culés' podcast he warned that 'Messi should be careful', insisted Barcelona is bigger than any individual, and said he would boycott any farewell tribute if Messi waited for Joan Laporta to leave before returning.
Did Gaspart apologise to Messi?
No. In his follow-up appearance he admitted he 'went too far' but refused to ask for forgiveness, saying he had never asked his own children for forgiveness when reproaching them for what he believed was best.
Why is there no Messi farewell at Barcelona?
Messi left in 2021 without a send-off, and his strained relationship with current president Joan Laporta is widely reported as the obstacle. Gaspart insists Messi should return regardless of who is president.
Has Messi responded to Gaspart?
As of publication, Messi has made no public response to either Gaspart's original remarks or his partial climbdown.
Find where to watch the Argentina vs Benin Live stream in your country.