Barcelona will look to overlook the controversy surrounding the club and continue its perfect start in the Spanish League when it takes on Sevilla on Saturday.
The team has been surrounded by a tremendous amount of tension. First, former Barcelona Coach Johan Cruyff told reporters that he was backing Ajax in Tuesday's Champions League fixture because of a difference of opinion he has with Barcelona President Sandro Rosell.
"I will support Ajax," Cruyff said, according to ESPN. "I have had some differences with Barcelona's president. I will not set foot in the Camp Nou as long as he is there."
Then Spanish club Espanol called out Barcelona authorities for favoring Blaugrana in recent Catalonia celebrations.
To make matters worse, Barcelona defender Gerard Pique recently told reporters that the team was a "slave" to its tactics. These comments were immediately defended by Jonathan Dos Santos who stated that the media misconstrued Pique's statements.
"He has grown up here at Barcelona, with Barcelona's philosophy, and the team has always played with that philosophy. At the moment, it is true that, maybe, as people have already seen, there are a few more long balls, and not always playing it short, so people think Barca have changed, but I do not think there is a [big] difference," said Dos Santos, according to ESPN. "The team is still playing the same way. It is true that the boss is asking us for what we lost a little last year, which was that intensity in pressing opponents, and to be more 'vertical' [direct]."
On the pitch, Barcelona has been perfect thus far. The team won its first three Spanish League matches and the Spanish Super Cup against Atletico Madrid.
Meanwhile, Sevilla is looking for its first Spanish League win. The team lost 3-1 to Atletico Madrid in its opener before pulling off two straight draws against Levante and Malaga.
Prediction: Barcelona manages a 3-2 win.
Start Time: 2 p.m. EST
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