Barcelona have vowed to fight the "defeatism" that is threatening to destabilise the club in the run up to their Champions League semi-final against Manchester United later this month.
The Catalan outfit were furious with suggestions made by financial director Xavier Sala Martin, who claimed in an interview with Catalunya Radio on Wednesday morning that Barcelona are using injuries as an excuse to mask player indiscipline.
Sala Martin was alluding to Ronaldinho and Deco, who are both out with mystery injuries, but coach Frank Rijkaard vehemently denied that any players have been excluded from the squad for indiscipline.
"No players have been excluded, that simply has not happened," he said following Barcelona's Champions League quarter-final win at home to Schalke on Wednesday night.
Barca captain Carles Puyol, who is suspended for the first leg of the semi-final with United after picking up a booking on Wednesday, also rubbished Sala Martin's claims.
"I don't know where this comes from," he said.
"This is a lack of respect for everybody and for the [team] doctors.
"It's totally wrong and completely false."
Barcelona president Joan Laporta added: "We are going to fight this defeatism that some people seem to want to instil in the club."
Laporta also hopes the club's fans, who waved white handkerchiefs following Sunday's disappointing draw at home to Getafe and again after the substitution of Bojan Krkic against Schalke, will get behind the team against United.
"We need the fans and everyone at the club to be together if we are to achieve Champions League glory," he said.
Rijkaard was disappointed at the attitude of the club's fans after a number of them jeered his decision to replace Bojan with Giovani Dos Santos.
"It's disappointing. The jeers were for me, let's get that straight, but I make my changes as I see fit," he said.
However, the Dutchman was more concerned about protecting young Mexican forward Giovani, who came on amid a barrage of whistles.
"I do feel somewhat sad. When a boy of 18 (Giovani) comes on in such an important game and he has to fight against those negative sensations, a player of ours who is so generous and who works so hard, that makes me sad," he said.
Although he did not say so, Rijkaard's angry reaction was thought to be aimed as much at the Catalan press as it was the fans.
The former Holland coach was forced to field a series of pointed questions about his future in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday and is said to be frustrated at the media's treatment of Giovani, who is seen as a rival to 17-year-old Catalan Bojan.
Rijkaard praised the Mexican's attitude in the face of adversity.
"He participated, he almost scored a goal, had a cross, and I am happy he has that strong mentality," he said.
