"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."
"They wanted us to sign a 50-year agreement with CVC to register Leo. We couldn't do it. The club is bigger than any individual. That's what has saddened me the most,"
"These are difficult decisions. We couldn't have it all. If we renewed his contract, we couldn't afford his salary."
The relationship between Joan Laporta and Lionel Messi remains damaged after Messi refused to greet Laporta at the 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony. Some rapprochement has occurred since that incident, but the relationship stays strained while Messi continues to be recognized as a Barcelona legend. Barcelona was pressured to sign a 50-year agreement with CVC to register Messi, a proposal the club did not accept. Financial constraints meant renewing Messi's contract would have been unaffordable. Joan Laporta is campaigning for re-election as Barcelona president ahead of the March 15 elections.
Read at Barca Blaugranes
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