Soccer Football - Joan Laporta, inauguration ceremony of the presidency of FC Barcelona - Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain - March 17, 2021 Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Joan Laporta before the start of the inauguration ceremony REUTERS/Albert Gea
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Barcelona chief Joan Laporta gave Lionel Messi a hug and then pledged to do everything in his power to convince the club's all-time top scorer to stay after being officially sworn in as the club's new president on Wednesday.
Laporta's pitch to Messi came two days after the Argentine equalled Xavi Hernandez as the club's highest appearance maker on 767 games, marking the occasion by scoring twice in a 4-1 rout of Huesca.
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