Former FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has admitted his relationship with Lionel Messi has cooled significantly. The Argentine player does not greet him, as Laporta revealed in the context of the 2023 Ballon d'Or gala. Messi left the club in 2021 amid feelings of regret, despite having previously agreed to a significant salary reduction.

No Reconciliation After Departure

Laporta admitted on Spanish radio that Messi does not greet him, confirming ongoing tensions between the former player and the club.

Incident at Paris Gala

During the Ballon d'Or award ceremony in October 2023, where Messi received the award, no contact occurred between them.

Background of Financial Separation

Messi left Barcelona in 2021, despite having previously agreed to halve his salary, which the club deemed insufficient.

Former FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta confirmed in an interview with "Catalunya Ràdio" radio that his relationship with Lionel Messi is "diminished." Laporta, who is currently seeking to return to the role of club president, revealed that the Argentine avoids him. A specific example is the Ballon d'Or award ceremony in Paris in October 2023. During this event, where Messi received his eighth award and Laporta accompanied the award-winning Aitana Bonmatí, no greeting took place – neither at the Châtelet theatre nor earlier at the hotel.

Lionel Messi spent almost his entire senior career at FC Barcelona, debuting for the first team in 2004. During this time, under several club presidents, he won numerous Spanish league and Champions League titles with the team, becoming a club icon and one of the world's highest-paid athletes. The separation occurred in the summer of 2021. Barcelona's management, grappling with serious financial problems, announced they were unable to register a new contract for the player, even despite his agreement to a 50 percent salary cut. Messi then left for Paris Saint-Germain with a sense of regret. Laporta, who first served as president from 2003-2010 and returned to the position in 2021, was a key figure in those negotiations. Since then, relations between them have remained tense, which Laporta summed up with the words: "La relación con Messi no es la que era" ("The relationship with Messi is not what it used to be").

„La relación con Messi no es la que era” (The relationship with Messi is not what it used to be) — Joan Laporta The current situation is significant in the context of the upcoming presidential elections at FC Barcelona, where Laporta is one of the contenders. His stance towards the legendary former player may be one of the campaign topics. The history of their relationship, from close collaboration through a painful separation to the current chill, illustrates the broader financial and emotional challenges faced by major football clubs when losing their stars.

Mentioned People

  • Joan Laporta — Former and current candidate for president of FC Barcelona
  • Lionel Messi — Argentine footballer, former FC Barcelona player
  • Aitana Bonmatí — Spanish footballer, 2023 Ballon d'Or winner