Lionel Messi would 'kick Joan Laporta out' if he ever returns to Barcelona - brother Mathias

• Messi left Barca in 2021
• Laporta has said he wants Messi back
• But brother insists that's not an option

WHAT HAPPENED? Matias Messi blamed Laporta for Lionel Messi's surprise departure in 2021, when Barcelona said they didn't have the funds to re-sign the legendary Argentine player. On Twitch, he said he watched a video clip of Laporta asking for Lionel Messi to return, to which he recalls reacting with laughter and thinking: "We are not going back to Barcelona, and if we do, we are going to do a good cleaning. Among them, kick out Joan Laporta.”

Lionel Messi had been at odds with previous club president Josep Maria Bartomeu and had hoped Laporta's election would lead to a contract resolution, however no deal was reached and he made a tearful exit ahead of a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

WHAT THEY SAID: “People [in Barcelona] did not support him," added Messi's brother. "They should have gone out for a protest or something, let Laporta leave and Messi stay. The Spanish are traitors. I’m telling this because I want it to come out of our guts.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Messi's brother also made controversial comments about Barcelona's history, claiming that nobody knew about the club before Messi.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI? Despite Laporta's public comments suggesting Messi would be welcomed back to Camp Nou, all indications are that the forward will either re-sign at PSG or move to MLS.