Jordi Alba joins Lionel Messi in criticising Abidal after Copa del Rey exit

Jordi Alba has joined Lionel Messi in calling out Barcelona's sporting director Eric Abidal for his recent remarks aimed at the club's players following the sacking of coach Ernesto Valverde.

The Frenchman suggested in an interview with Sport that players weren't happy under Valverde and didn't work hard enough for the Spaniard. 

Messi was quick to shut down those claims on social media, however, sparking immediate speculation surrounding his future at Camp Nou with Manchester City circling. 

READ ALSO: Eric Abidal to keep Barcelona sporting director role despite criticism 

Following Barca's 1-0 loss to Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals on Thursday, Alba joined Messi in calling out Abidal for creating unnecessary further drama. 

"This club gets enough sh*t thrown at it from the outside so we shouldn't be throwing sh*t at ourselves," Alba told reporters.

"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."

Sergio Busquets was quick to declare recent off-field drama wasn't behind the Catalans' shock cup exit and Alba backed up those claims, declaring Barca put in a united showing. 

"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."

Despite dominating possession and number of shots, Alba's side failed to make the most of their superiority with the left-back also left unimpressed with VAR failing to rule in the Catalans' favour on a number of occasions. 

"Personally, I still don't know how it works. It must improve a lot," Alba added when asked about the technology. "There are very clear decisions that we could have gotten in the game."

READ ALSO: Lionel Messi hits out at Barcelona sporting director Eric Abidal over interview 

Barcelona must now bounce back relatively quickly as they travel to Real Betis for a fixture in La Liga on Sunday. 

Quique Setien's side are currently second in the league, trailing Real Madrid by three points following recent inconsistent form. 

Source: goal.com