Laporta has been called out by former Barca coach Xavi and his presidential predecessor Jose Maria Bartomeu for not doing enough to keep Messi at the time.
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But Laporta told El Pais: "I had to make a decision and I think I made the right one; the results speak for themselves. We were able to recover the club's finances, we built a competitive team, and it was time for a generational change.
"Leo was nearing the end of his career, and we needed to build a new team. Would I have liked to build a new team with Leo helping out? Yes. We tried, but it wasn't possible."
He added, "The future relationship will be as Leo wants and as Barça wants. At some point, their interests will converge again."