'Barcelona powers want Messi out', says former president Joan Laporta

Joan Laporta has claimed that there are powerful figures at Barcelona who want Lionel Messi out of the club.

Laporta accused Josep Maria Bartomeu's board of letting Messi down during his tax ordeal on Saturday, and the former Barca president wasted no time in taking his criticism further by fuelling talk of a conspiracy, geared towards the Argentine leaving the club.

"There are certain powers [at Barca] who want Messi to no longer be a Barca player," he told Catalunya Radio.

"What the justice system says is respectable, but what's clear is that Messi pays his taxes and pays a lot [into the state].

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Lionel Messi

Image credit: Reuters

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"For me, Barca are more than a club, who I had the honour of leading.

"[My] model worked because it made the club more recognisable and beloved. Unfortunately, that's not the case anymore.

Read the original article on Football Espana - The ultimate website for English-speaking fans of Spanish football

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