Barcelona president Joan Laporta has reiterated that he remains comfortable with "the big decision" that he made regarding Lionel Messi last summer.
As a result of their crippling financial issues, Barcelona were unable to hand the club legend a new contract, resulting in an emotional exit to Paris Saint-Germain.
After a poor first half to the campaign, Barcelona are now rebuilding under new boss Xavi, and Laporta feels that taking the step of parting ways with the Argentine superstar has set the Catalan giants on the path to a more promising future.
Speaking to BarcaTV+, Laporta said: "Messi's departure? It was the hardest decision I made. I didn't want to make the decision. Messi is the best player in history, but that was our situation.
"I had to make a big decision about Messi, but I do not regret it. No one is above the club. With Messi the reality hit us. There's nothing else to it, but Barcelona's history continues, and with hard work and correct decisions we can return to the path of success. That's what we're doing."
During a season where Barcelona have only recently moved into third position in the La Liga table, Messi has scored just seven goals from 23 appearances for PSG.
Darren Plant
