January 6 – The off-the-field crisis at Barcelona has deepened with the news that the Catalan giants have sacked Andoni Zubizarreta (pictured) as director of football.
A club statement said president Josep Maria Bartomeu had “decided to terminate” Zubizarreta’s contract immediately. Former club captain Carlos Puyol, who won the Champions League three times with Barca where he played for 15 seasons, has also resigned as assistant sports director.
“The president, in the name of the club, thanks Andoni Zubizarreta for his contribution, dedication and professionalism over the last four years in his role at the head of the club’s football area,” a Barca statement said.
The axeing of Zubizarreta, Spain’s former national goalkeeper who played for Barca between 1986 and 1994, came just days after Barca lost its appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) against being banned from making any new signings for breaching FIFA rules over acquiring foreign under-age players.
Barcelona were originally handed a 14-month ban, covering two transfer periods, in April and decided to go to the CAS after an initial appeal to FIFA was rejected in August. But with the mid-season winter window now open, they will be unable to add to their squad as they chase the La Liga and Champions League titles – and can’t buy any players next summer either.
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