Lionel Messi has taken a shock swipe at Barcelona vice-president Javier Faus declaring: “He doesn’t know anything about football.”

The Argentine forward and his entourage have always been believed to enjoy a good relationship with his club’s hierarchy, but this outburst suggests a rift may be developing.

Faus apparently angered Messi by recently commenting that negotiations had already started for a new contract for the Nou Camp club’s star player, even though he only signed his latest extension a few months ago.

However, Messi rebuffed those suggestions in surprisingly harsh terms, sniping: “I would like to remind him that neither I nor any of my representatives have asked for a contract extension, as he well knows.”

The Argentine star also developed an unpleasantly personal edge to the dispute, tersely adding: “Barca is one of the greatest clubs in the world and deserves to have the best directors in the world.

“Faus doesn’t know anything about football and wants to run Barcelona like a business, which it isn’t.”

The squabble comes in the middle of a series of setbacks for Messi and his management team, which is strongly led by his father Jorge.

In addition to the injuries that have dogged Messi over the last few months, he has also been forced to appear in court to respond to charges of historic tax evasion.

And earlier this week Jorge was again thrown into the spotlight after allegations that funds from a summer charity friendly involving Messi in Colombia had been used to launder drug money.

But Messi junior insisted he retains full confidence in his father’s business acumen, adding: “I have very close ties with my dad and my family, both personally and professionally. If it was up to me, he would remain chairman of my company and of my foundation.”

There was, however, also some positive news for Messi on Friday with confirmation that he is ready to begin the final stage of his recovery from injury.

He has spent the last few weeks in Argentina recuperating from the hamstring injury that has kept him out of action for two months, but received the all-clear from the Argentine Football Association to step up his physical workload.

Messi is now hoping to complete his rehabilitation and return to action in time for Barca’s first game after Christmas, a home meeting with Elche on 5 January.