Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes insists he did not snub the captain's armband against Athletic Bilbao.

Valdes did not take the captain's armband when Xavi was taken off, giving it to Lionel Messi, causing debate over whether he had deliberately turned it down.

"The transfer to Messi of captaincy during yesterday's game was for no other reason than because of a problem with size. By not being able to adjust the armband comfortably to my arm, I decided to give it away in the middle of the game," Valdes posted on his Facebook page.