Barcelona defender Joao Cancelo has defended himself after a row with autograph hunters outside the club's training base.

Cancelo has been criticised for his reaction to the fans.

But he insisted last night: "Faced with the stupid things I see written around here I have several things to say," he wrote. "Firstly, they are not fans, they are 20-year-old kids who are outside the Ciudad Deportiva all day long, or when I am with my daughter in the park or just walking with my wife.

"Secondly, they ask for signatures on stickers or T-shirts and then sell them. And this is repeated every day, and always by the same people. These are people who don't know how to respect other people's space. F

"For the people who criticise, first try to know the reality of the facts and then comment. Because real fans would always receive respect."