Things have gone from bad to worse in the Barcelona camp with a defeat to Athletic Bilbao ending their Copa del Rey campaign at the quarter-final stage and adding to their woes following the infamous Lionel-Messi-Eric Abidal spat.
Barcelona lost to Bilbao 1-0 at San Mames after Inaki Williams scored a 93rd-minute winner. It was another setback for Barcelona in a turbulent week that saw Messi engage in a public spat with club sporting director Eric Abidal and Ousmane Dembele getting sidelined for a long period following another hamstring tear.
To rub salt into the wounds, Gerard Pique went off with his own injury issue in the second half against Bilbao.
Earlier, Abidal's interview in which he said players did not work hard enough under former manager Ernesto Valverde, and that played a part in his sacking, has set off a chain reaction. Messi hit back by saying the club's hierarchy should take responsibility for the sacking.
On Thursday, Barcelona defender Jordi Alba joined Messi in criticising Abidal.
"This club gets enough s*** thrown at it from the outside so we shouldn't be throwing s*** at ourselves," Alba said.
"Abidal was a player, he is loved by the fans and that's why he should know what it's like inside the dressing room and how players feel."
However, Alba said the team had played well and showed they were not affected by recent events.
"We showed that we are a team and that's what we need to keep on doing," he said.
"I think we put in a great performance, one of the best of the season. It's a real shame we conceded the goal so late but that's what football is like. I'm very proud of the team because of how well we played."
New manager Quique Setien has now lost two of his first six games in charge, with a Champions League match against Napoli next.
