Barcelona sacks director after Messi comments

Barcelona has sacked director Pere Gratacos following comments he made about Lionel Messi.

Pere Gratacos suggested Lionel Messi would not be the same player without his stellar team-mates' support.

Barcelona has sacked director Pere Gratacos following comments he made about Lionel Messi. Gratacos, the director of training and education at Camp Nou and a key figure in the running of the famous La Masia youth system, suggested on Friday that Messi would not be the same player without his stellar team-mates' support.

"Barcelona are not here only because of Messi," he said at the draw for the Copa del Rey quarterfinals.

"He's very important but it was the team who won [against Athletic Bilbao in the last 16]. Without Neymar, Luis Suarez, [Andres] Iniesta, [Gerard] Pique and the others, he wouldn't be such a good player."

Barca has taken swift action following those remarks, which it stresses "do not coincide with those of the club".