'Sorry Lionel Messi, I will convince you to stay,' says Laporta

Joan Laporta was officially sworn in as the new Barcelona club president on Wednesday, following a successful election that was held on March 7. Not surprisingly, his speech focused on his determination to convince first team captain Lionel Messi to renew his contract.

It was a good sign that Messi was present during the ceremony, despite the fact that he had declared his intention to leave the club just last summer. Many things have changed since then, and Messi has been showing more and more that he is slowly becoming more satisfied with the situation within the club.

As Laporta was enumerating his plans during his term as president, he said, "We will, for example, try to convince Leo to stay at the club." The comment was met with applause from the limited crowd, before Laporta addressed Messi directly. "Sorry Leo... I will do my best and he knows it!"

"We're going to try, of course, to convince him to stay here because he's the best player in history," he continued. "Sorry, but I love you and Barcelona also loves you. If this stadium were full, you wouldn't want to go."

According to Marca, Laporta spoke about Messi, reminding the club members about the promise he made before he was elected. During the campaign period, his plan to convince Messi to stay was his main battle cry.

After a tumultuous period which saw the resignation of former president Josep Maria Bartomeu and his entire board, Laporta is determined to rebuild the club. After dismal results and the now infamous "Barcagate" scandal, Laporta promised that "we'll do what we can so you can be proud of Barcelona again."

Obviously, the club's financial situation is the top priority. It has been no secret that the club has been struggling, which is one of the reasons why numerous stars were let go despite the fact that the club needed them for results. With pay cuts also being implemented across the organisation, it will be difficult for Laporta to make Messi an acceptable offer unless the club's finances get sorted out.

"We need to make the club sustainable. We have a plan for this. We will take decisions in Barcelona's best interests," he said.

Needless to say, they will also need good results on the pitch. They have just been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League, but they are now only just four points behind La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid. Laporta gave his word of confidence behind manager Ronald Koeman, saying that he trusts that the Dutchman can help the team win the league and the Copa del Rey this season.