Bauza: Talks with Messi were about football, not national team

New Argentina manager Edgardo Bauza revealed details of his reported meeting with Lionel Messi on Thursday, telling reporters the two enjoyed a light conversation about football and little else.

Bauza traveled to Barcelona to speak with Messi after the 29-year-old icon announced his retirement from the Argentine national team, following a Copa America Centenario loss to Chile.

"We didn't speak about his return. We just had a little talk about football," Bauza told Ole, as quoted by ESPN FC. "I'll be calling him in a few days."

Having taken over from Gerardo Martino after the Copa loss, Bauza's first task is convincing Messi to reverse his decision, but it's one he says he didn't quite get into during their first face-to-face meeting in Spain.

While there was little by way of progress on that front, this latest update is in line with what Bauza had earlier confirmed to reporters.

"The sensations are good because I will talk about football, a language we both know," Bauza said, according to the Guardian. "That talk will lead to a decision but I've not come to convince Messi, I've come to talk about football. He can tell me his frustration and I can express to him the idea that I have of the national team, so he feels comfortable."

For his part, Argentina legend and former manager Diego Maradona doesn't believe a return to be possible.

"I think Messi is going to tell him no," Maradona said, as quoted by ESPN FC. "That is my personal opinion and maybe I am wrong. We must beg him to return, but I feel as though they are rushing things. Everything is still so recent and in addition, there are other things they need to fix."