Mediapro chief Jaume Roures insists Lionel Messi didn't leave Barcelona due to financial reasons.

Roures, who was also involved in Joan Laporta's electoral campaign as one of the names on his guarantee, spoke on La Sotana about Messi's departure.

He confirmed that on July 3, Laporta, Javier Tebas and he himself met in a restaurant in Lleida to discuss how the club could register Messi.

“At that lunch, Messi's continuity at Barca was on track. CVC wasn't spoken of. La Liga and Barca's president wanted to look for solutions for Messi to stay and from that meeting we left with the idea that everything was going to be OK.

“There was nothing signed, but it was agreed. I think things got complicated from a sporting point of view, and not economically. Messi has already made the concessions that were asked of him and he said so. They all did their best, but the world of football is very complex.

“It's not easy. They could have renewed Messi even without the CVC deal, in my opinion."