Laporta: Barcelona Plans to Erect Messi's Statue at Camp Nou – He Deserves the Tribute
On Thursday local time, Barcelona president Joan Laporta discussed topics including plans to erect a statue of Lionel Messi at Camp Nou and the club’s financial progress during an interview with Camel Live.
On Messi’s Recent Return to Camp Nou for Photography
Laporta said: "I firmly believe Messi will maintain a close connection with Barça. After he ends his career at Inter Miami, I don’t know what he will do next, but he knows that Barça’s door is always open for him. As I said a few days ago, we have absolute respect and admiration for Messi, and he deserves the most beautiful tribute from Barça."
On the Possibility and Plans of Erecting Messi’s Statue at Camp Nou
"He deserves to have his own statue at Camp Nou, just like Johan Cruyff and László Kubala. It is fair and reasonable for Messi to have a statue too. He is an iconic player who leaves a deep impression on everyone. We are sparing no effort for this, and of course, we need the approval of his family."
"When the time is right and the statue design is completed, we will formally put forward this plan. As Barça fans, we are all looking forward to it. I believe all Barça people hope Messi’s statue can stand side by side with those of the great figures in the club’s history."
"In my opinion, if Messi’s statue is successfully built, it will be a wonderful thing for Barça. Messi is fully worthy of this honor. We have had this idea for a long time, and today, when talking about Messi, I think it’s a good time to propose it. We need to submit a project to create a high-quality statue, making it part of this tribute that deserves to be the most beautiful in the world."
On Barcelona’s Financial Situation
Laporta revealed: "The key factors behind Barça’s transformation from a €500 million loss in 2021 to a €2 million profit in this fiscal year are various: sponsorship revenue reached €259 million, and merchandise sales hit €170 million, both setting new records; at the same time, Barça reduced player salary expenditure to 54% of total revenue, meeting UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) requirements."
"So this excellent financial report result is not accidental, but achieved through daily hard work, decisive decision-making ability and long-term accumulated experience."
"There is no other secret: first, formulate a financial plan aimed at restoring and further promoting the club’s revenue growth. In the process of implementing this plan, we will neither endanger Barça’s membership ownership model nor reduce Barça’s scale; on the contrary, we want to make the club stronger and more influential."
On Whether Barcelona’s Future Financial Situation Can Stabilize
"Barça’s regular revenue is expected to reach €1.075 billion, mainly because audiences will gradually return to Camp Nou to watch games this season, which will significantly boost the club’s ticket revenue. Simply put, maintaining profitability means the club’s current development model is stable and faces no threats."
On Barcelona’s Upcoming Public Welfare Project
Laporta: "Regarding the social responsibility of Barça as a global Catalan club, we are vigorously promoting the Barça Foundation’s 'Future Youth +' project. This year marks the fourth year of the project, which aims to provide vocational training for young people in Catalonia and help them master work skills."
