Laporta: 'Already in 2005, Tebas did not want Messi to play for Barca. He is anti-Barcelonista'

"He [Tebas] has displayed his anti-Barcelonism throughout his whole career here," Joan Laporta has said.

"At the time [in 2005], he did not want Leo Messi to play for Barcelona. Now, he has publicly expressed his desire that I stop being the president of Barca.

"Anyone who questions Barcelona's historic past will receive a strong and forceful response," the president added.

On Monday, Javier Tebas said that Laporta 'should resign' if he fails to explain why Barcelona had been paying money to former La Liga referee and his company for many years.

As for the Messi issue, it was revealed at the time that Tebas had tried to prevent Blaugrana from registering the Argentine on the first team – something he has recently tried to do in relation to Gavi.