The Barcelona squad is refusing to sit idly by while LaLiga president Javier Tebas questions their integrity and professionalism, with Rafinha being one of the first players to come to the club's defence.
The board of directors and president Josep Maria Bartomeu have taken action into their own hands and have demanded an investigation from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) due to Tebas' accusations.
"If you can't celebrate a goal like the one at Estadio Mestalla, then Barcelona might as well not celebrate goals anymore then," Rafinha said in response to claims that the Blaugrana had provoked the Valencia crowd.
"We are surprised at Tebas' comments, because as president of LaLiga he should be protecting the players that are a part of it."Tebas' comments in response to the bottle-throwing incident that marred the end of Barcelona's trip to Valencia last weekend have provoked an angry response from the Catalan club, with their president Josep Maria Bartomeu personally criticising the LaLiga chief's conduct.
Barcelona have even considered Tebas' behaviour worthy of requesting that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) investigate his comments.
"Mr Tebas has spoken without really thinking first," Bartomeu said on the matter.
"Directors, whether of clubs or of the league, have a duty to reduce tension and to set a standard.
"This situation worries us a lot, which is why we are taking this to CAS, so that the organisation can evaluate the comments and determine if there was a protest that might cause tension."
As well as submitting a complaint to CAS, the club also renounced their support of Tebas' LaLiga presidency, something which Bartomeu also touched upon.
"We have had many years with Tebas as president and we, the clubs, have elected him, but now the relationship is changing," the Blaugrana president said.
"We have lost confidence in him."
As well as requesting an investigation into Tebas' conduct, Barcelona also complained about the comments made by the Spanish FA's Competition Committee, which criticised the behaviour of their players in the Valencia match.
"[The Competition Committee] should punish or not punish sporting actions, so we are concerned when they start making assessments," the Catalan director added.
As procedure dictates, Barcelona have submitted the cases against Tebas and the Competition Committee to Miguel Cardenal, Spain's Secretary of State for Sports, who will take them to CAS.
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