Barcelona in turmoil as sporting director Zubizarreta and assistant Puyol leave
Club legends may have paid the price for club's transfer ban
Barcelona had a turbulent start to 2015 as the La Liga giants, still reeling over a transfer ban, on Monday sacked sports director Andoni Zubizarreta while his assistant Carles Puyol resigned.
The club did not say why they fired Zubizarreta, Barcelona’s goalkeeper from 1986 to 1994 who played 126 times for Spain and who took up the post in 2010, and didn’t name a replacement.
But the move came just a day after Barcelona crashed 1-0 away to Real Sociedad and less than a week after the main international sports appeal court backed a one year transfer ban against the Catalans.
Last year Zubizarreta, 53, renewed his contract with Barcelona until 2016.
Under his watch as sporting director, Barcelona won La Liga twice – in 2011 and 2013 – as well the Champions League in 2011.
But last year they won no major silverware and Zubizarreta had come under fire for failing to effectively strengthen Barcelona’s defence over the summer.