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Though they sit just three points off the top in Spain’s La Liga and play a Copa del Rey quarterfinal match against a heavy underdog on Thursday, defending league champions FC Barcelona are suddenly facing a major crisis after the firing of Manager Ernesto Valverde three weeks ago. The fallout exploded into an open feud between the club’s athletic director and its superstar player, Lionel Messi, who is eligible to leave his longtime club in the summer due to a release clause in his contract, according to The Guardian.
Coming off a much-needed league victory over Levante UD on the weekend, the Blaugrana will need to somehow set the tensions aside when they travel to Basque Country to face one of Spain’s toughest home sides in Athletic Club Bilbao in the Cup quarterfinal.