Gaspart: I would have led Barcelona to ruin so that Messi would have stayed

Joan Gaspart, president of Barcelona between July 2000 and February 2003, reviewed the current situation faced by the club, currently presided over by Joan Laporta and coached by Xavi Hernandez, on Onda Cero's Radioestadio Noche program.

"A cule does not stop being cule. It is a disease that has no cure, it is cured the day you die," said Joan Gaspart, who is 79 years old, to Rocio Burgos and Edu Pidal.

Joan Gaspart on Xavi Hernandez at Barcelona

"The president and his management team are the ones who have to decide and I am sure they will choose what is best for Barcelona.

"One thing is the way of acting and another the background. The background is that Barcelona were last year's league champions and this year they have finished second. In any team this would be a great success.

"I didn't like the comment Xavi Hernandez made about the future. I respect everyone's freedom of expression but Xavi as a coach and as a man of the future has to have a realistic and at the same time optimistic view.

"Xavi himself, who is very much a Barcelona fan, must also give his opinion on what is best for Barcelona."

"The form is of no use. But you are free to think about whether you have done better or worse. That will be short-lived, people will forget.

"We, the Barcelona fans, want to turn the page and start a new season in which we can compete and fight for titles again."

Joan Gaspart gives his opinion on Messi's departure from Barcelona

"I would have led Barcelona to absolute ruin so that Messi would have stayed," he said.

"Laporta wanted Messi to stay but it was the economic terms that prevented it.

"When Joan Laporta came in, Koeman was already there but he wasn't their coach. The coaches thought he wasn't the best for the club and that's why he was sacked.

"The way we sacked Johan Cruyff from Barcelona was not the best, but in the end what people valued is what happened afterwards, and that is that Van Gaal came in and we won two league titles in a row."