Laporta revealed in an interview that he had approached Messi at the 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony but received no response.
Following Messi's traumatic departure from Barcelona in the summer of 2021, the relationship between Laporta and Messi was damaged and has yet to be repaired. The former Barça president admitted to Catalan radio: " The relationship has been damaged," while also revealing that at the 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris, despite his greetings, Messi declined to greet him.
Laporta stated: "My relationship with Messi is no longer what it once was. An incident occurred during the Ballon d'Or ceremony where I approached him to say hello, but he felt we shouldn't exchange greetings. Since then, we've had some contact and hope for further progress. The relationship has been damaged, but he remains a legendary symbol of Barça spirit."
When asked about Messi's night appearance at Camp Nou, Laporta said: "I knew he was in Barcelona because the Argentine national team played here, but I wasn't aware of other details. It's clear that whenever Messi wants to enter the stadium, he should always be allowed access whenever possible. It's his home. That's exactly how things unfolded."
Laporta reiterated: “Messi deserves a statue at Camp Nou like those of Cruyff and Kubala.” He added: “He deserves a tribute ceremony, and we believe the most appropriate time would be when the stadium is fully completed and capable of hosting over 100,000 audiences.”
AyaanBambotiya
123
you know what, saying this as a ronaldo and madrid fan, YOU DESERVED IT. you promised the barca club board that if you became the president, you would renew his contract. you didn’t. had you been the man of your words, you would’ve gotten the respect you expected.
SirGP
52
Can Laporta have Messi’s statue made now, while Messi is still alive, and unveil it once Camp Nou is completed already. Your legend lives forever. Best Player in the World 🌎 🌎 🌎
hepbeimot
39
if it was Ronaldo, you guys would have said he's disrespectful right, why then did Messi ignored his former president. in life we shouldn't be fast in judging people's opinion because everyone is title to his/ her opinion. Messi was a Barcelona legend no doubt but there's time for everything. At that moment laporta thought thought it was the best option considering the financial status of the club at the time.
Davichi
16
It's a pity that some Barca fans still don't understand the terrible position Bartomeu and his administration left the club and what Laporta has done so far to bring balance... For the record, the mess wasn't as a result of Messi' wages, but mismanagement. For instance, the misuse of the €222M for Neymar's transfer is just one amongst many. I'm quite sure if Laporta truly understood the economic situation of the club, he won't have made promises to keep Messi. Where I fault him is that he could have tried to handle Messi' departure better. I'm not sure he spoke with him personally to explain the whole mess, otherwise Messi could have reacted slightly better. However, it's very difficult when you have to make such a decision. He deserves all the credits for navigating the ship and bringing the much needed stability both economic and sporting wise, despite the betrayal and negativity from some within the club. I hope he's reelected to continue the good work he started.