There is an ever growing divide between the press and Barcelona, as the Catalan club tried to move to ban interviews with any of their players, but it has since been clarified in an official statement that the move had been misinterpreted. The decision, which has caused a split within the Blaugrana boardroom itself, is largely based around attempts to grow the club's own media channels. Had they been given exclusivity in terms of player interviews, there's reason to believe that Barcelona would be able to expand their media empire further; currently possessing a magazine, website, social networks, and television channel. This attempted move by the Mediterranean club is just the latest controversy that serves to pull up the drawbridge between themselves and the press, following a reduction in access to first-team training sessions and an end to journalists and VIP fans travelling with the squad to games.
Nevertheless, this media blackout ban only lasted a few hours, and though the club is still trying to boost their own channels, other journalists will in fact be allowed to conduct interviews as before.Barcelona changed their policy for away games, opting to end the possibility of allowing VIP fans to travel on the same plane as the team, a decision which has led to complaints. Before this past summer, privileged supporters would not only fly with their heroes, but they were also well looked after once they arrived at their destination and would be set up in hotels of the highest quality for Champions League away trips. That is no longer the case, as one of the fans who travelled to Germany for the Borussia Monchengladbach match explained. "They sent us to one of the worst hotels in the city, whereas the club allowed Neymar's friends to travel with the team as usual," the source revealed. The change in approach was made following shouting from the back of the plane as the team travelled to Gijon last season.
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