It may be remembered that Lionel Messi did not leave FC Barcelona under the best circumstances. However, almost two years later, more details are emerging that are making it clear that his exit had a lot more sinister factors involved.

The latest is a series of leaked conversations between some of the club's former top executives which appear to show discussions that took place in 2020 in the leadup to the final decision not to offer the Argentine a contract extension in the summer of 2021.

Messi's contract was due to expire, but most of the football world believed that he would renew despite expressing his desire to leave a year before.

Marca has now revealed excerpts from WhatsApp chat groups that were leaked by El Periodico. At the time, former club president Josep Maria Bartomeu was still at the helm before he and his entire board were forced to resign in October 2020 due to tax fraud allegations as well as a defamation campaign against his own players.

In the messages, head of legal services Roman Gomez Ponti told Bartomeu: "Barto, really, you can't be such a good person with this sewer rat (Messi). The club has given him everything and he has dedicated himself to establish a dictatorship of signings, transfers, renewals, sponsors just for him."

Gomez implied that Messi had been forcing the club to do what he wants in terms of transfers and even player salaries. "To the figures of his contract we should add Pinto, the renewal of Luis Suarez, and that of Jordi Alba, or the renewal commission of Ansu Fati."

He also made some strong accusations against the former Barcelona captain. "The accumulation of blackmail and disrespect that the club and those of us who work here have suffered from this hormonal midget who owes Barcelona his life... ah! But when things go wrong (pandemic) you receive the famous WhatsApp: 'presi, lower the salary of the others, but don't touch me and Luis'."

It is unclear if the messages are authentic, but many of Messi's former teammates who have had their salaries slashed may not be happy to find out about them.

Gerard Pique and current captain Sergio Busquets were also targeted in the conversations. Other former executives who were allegedly part of the leaked chat are former CEO Oscar Grau, financial director Pancho Schroeder, and other directors like Jordi Moix, Oriol Tomaa, David Bellver and Javier Sobrino.

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Messi
Lionel Messi won his seventh Ballon d'Or after a year in which he captained Argentina to victory at the Copa America and left Barcelona for PSG AFP / FRANCK FIFE
Lionel Messi