Once teammates, the rising star and the living legend both walked out the Camp Nou exit door and went separate ways this summer.
Ilaix Moriba suggests he will forget about his friendship with Lionel Messi whenever they play against each other on the pitch.
A product of La Masia and an exciting prospect, Moriba rose through the ranks to earn a promotion to the Barcelona first-team in 2020-21.
The teenager was fortunate enough to share the dressing room with Messi and even play alongside him before the record six-time Ballon d’Or winner ended his almost two-decade-long association with the club.
Moriba departed Camp Nou after about a month of Messi’s departure, with the former joining Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig and the latter signing for Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain.
“It is any child’s dream to play with Messi, what he has done is incredible,” the 18-year-old midfielder said in an interview, as Marca reports.
“The best thing was that he is such a good person, he tries to help young players.
“When we play each other, we will shake hands, but when the game starts there is no more friendship, we will defend our clubs and I will give everything for Leipzig.”
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