Laporta admits relationship with Messi is not what it was before

Barcelona president Joan Laporta was happy to speak about his relationship with Lionel Messi in an interview with RAC1 on Monday, admitting there's a before and after with the Argentine forward.

Laporta was excited at the idea of Messi being present for the inauguration of the new Camp Nou, even though it's a long way away, because it would be "beautiful."

However, he recognsied that "there's no personal contact, I remember him with affection and I hope he feels the same. It was not easy for me, I would have liked things to go differently, but as they happened, I thought of the institution first and I think we did what we had to do."

In that sense, he doesn't see any chance of Messi coming back as a player: "We're not considering it. We're building a new team with young players, but he deserves respect."

Laporta added: "I don't speak with him, I don't have fluid communication with him like before he left. We hear comments from people close to him... Barcelona pulls you a lot and when you leave you miss the city, Barça, he had a great life here. I felt worse for the personal and family side of things than the other, but also that."