Barcelona captain Lionel Messi had to be separated from sporting director Eric Abidal at the height of their public row, it has been revealed.

After the dismissal of Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien's subsequent appointment, Abidal said in an interview that "many players were not satisfied and did not work hard" under Valverde, so justifying his dismissal.

The comments drew a furious riposte from Messi on social media and El Confidencial reports things threatened to get physical at the club's training ground.

Learning that Abidal was at the complex for a meeting with president Josep Maria Bartomeu, Messi walked out of training to confront Abidal face-to-face. The pair argued, with Messi becoming so aggressive that teammates had to pull him back in order to calm things down.

Since then, the situation has 'returned to normal' between the pair, although the future of Abidal remains clouded.