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Insults cost youngster Barcelona chance

Xinhua, December 29, 2015 Adjust font size:

He may share the same surname as former FC Barcelona coach and player Pep Guardiola, but Sergi Guardiola's stay in the Catalan club was a whole lot shorter after his contract was rescinded after just seven hours.

   The 24-year-old who was born in Mallorca and played for second division side, Alcorcon, was announced as a new signing for Barca's B-team on Monday, before angry fans brought the club's attention to a series of messages he had published on his 'Twitter' account in late 2013.

   In those posts, Sergi not only expressed his love for Barca's eternal rival, Real Madrid, but also insulted the Catalan region of Spain and seven hours later a message appeared on the Barcelona website announcing the club had "decided to terminate the contract signed with Sergi Guardiola after finding he had published offensive tweets about the club and Catalonia."  

   Guardiola appeared on Spanish radio and TV insisting that he had not written the tweets, but nevertheless apologized "to Catalonia and Barcelona and anyone who feel offended... I would have done the same if I had been Barcelona," he admitted.  Endi