Joan Laporta says he’ll call Jorge Messi tonight to resolve Lionel’s future if he’s elected: “Why tomorrow? I can speak tonight, the night is long”

Joan Laporta was the first of the three candidates to cast his vote in the Barcelona presidential election according to a report in Mundo Deportivo. He did so at ten in the morning at Camp Nou, and asked the club’s members to make the effort of going out and voting to ensure that there’s high participation and the democratic character of the club is on full display.

Lionel Messi’s future has been a key feature of the debates leading up to the election, with each candidate professing their ambition to retain the Argentine star beyond the expiration of his current deal this coming summer. Of the three, however, Laporta is best placed to do so, it would seem. It was under his presidency, which ran from 2003 to 2010, that Messi broke into the Barcelona first team, and he’s traded heavily on his strong personal bond with him throughout the lead-up to the election.

Laporta was asked about Messi’s future while casting his vote, and revealed that he’ll waste no time in speaking with his father to resolve his future. “Why tomorrow? I can speak tonight, the night is long,” he said. On the pitch, things are looking up for Barcelona, and the election comes at a moment of optimism for a club that’s endured a tough 12 months. Last night’s defeat of Osasuna has closed the gap to league leaders Atletico Madrid to just two points, while youngsters like Ilaix Moriba, Pedri and Ansu Fati have shined under the tutelage of coach Ronald Koeman.

Tags Barcelona Joan Laporta La Liga Lionel Messi
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