Barca presidential candidate condemns PSG's 'disrespectful' Messi pursuit

Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta wants FIFA to intervene on Paris Saint-Germain’s “disrespectful” public pursuit of Lionel Messi.

Laporta, who previously served as the club’s president between 2003 and 2010, said in a news conference that Messi’s contract situation “requires urgency” while he’s free to discuss a pre-contract agreement with other teams, according to ESPN’s Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens. Manchester City and PSG have been strongly linked to the Argentine superstar, but Laporta only condemned the latter’s interest.

“It is disrespectful to Barca that clubs like PSG publicly say they are going to sign Messi,” Laporta said on Wednesday. “This coming from a club-state that have bypassed the rules. We cannot allow clubs and states the luxury of destabilizing another club.

“In that sense, we will have to speak with UEFA and FIFA to avoid such actions. PSG must abstain from (talking about Messi). It is out of place for another club to speak about him. And, at the moment, there is no president in place to respond to this lack of respect.”

PSG forward Neymar and the French side’s sporting director, Leonardo, have both been on record talking about the prospect of bringing Messi to the Parc des Princes.

Messi said in December that he intends to make a decision on his future at the end of the 2020-21 season. The 33-year-old is expected to feature in Barcelona’s Copa del Rey skirmish with Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday after serving a two-match suspension.

Barcelona’s next president is set to be elected on March 7. Laporta, Victor Font, Toni Freixa, and Emili Rousaud are the four candidates.