Messi and Laporta have crossed paths since then, but the atmosphere at said meetings has remained tense. The latter admits as much, telling Catalunya Radio of a surprising snub that occurred at the glitziest of award ceremonies: “The relationship with Messi isn’t what it used to be.
“There was also an incident at the Ballon d’Or ceremony where I went to greet him, and he felt we shouldn’t greet each other. Since then, there has been some rapprochement, and hopefully, this will continue in the future. The relationship is strained, but he’s a Barcelona legend.”