Barcelona presidential hopeful Victor Font is demanding an explanation from the board over claims they hired an online PR company to discredit their critics.

Barca have since denied the report which broke yesterday morning.

But Font, via his campaign 'Si al futur', released the following statement:

"Because of the information reported today by SER Catalunya, in which it was revealed that Barcelona has paid for social media campaigns to attack and discredit first-team players and club members, among others, Si al future states that:

"1. Barcelona's board of directors must come out immediately to offer an explanation because the allegations are extremely worrying.

"2. It means that, with the club's money, the board of directors have gone against their own members, first-team players, Catalan social entities and media. This defamation campaign stains Barca, embarrasses us as club members and adds moral bankruptcy to a club in a delicate sporting and economic situation."