The news that Barcelona, in the end, were unable to keep Lionel Messi at the club came as a bombshell to everyone and seemingly to the player himself, and his coldness towards president, Joan Laporta, before his farewell press conference spoke volumes.
At Laporta’s unveiling earlier in the year, their warm hug suggested all was well, and signing Messi to a new deal was a formality. However, clearly something had changed.
As Messi made his way to the auditorium to deliver his final words, a video has captured the moment he saw Laporta.
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The briefest of polite handshakes was all that Messi could muster and surely proves there’s more to the situation than meets the eye.
Així va saludar Messi a Rafael Yuste i Joan Laporta en la seva arribada a la roda de premsa de comiat. pic.twitter.com/Gglmfhtd94
— Joan Solé Giménez (@JoanSole_) August 9, 2021