Book Claims Barca Sold Player After He Refused to Pass Toilet Paper to President

A lesson in how to ensure a swift departure from your club, by former Dutch footballer Johan Neeskens.

Barcelona sold the midfielder in 1979 for a rather peculiar reason, according to a new book, Barca Inedit (via the Mirror).

Apparently Neeskens, who was capped 49 times by his country, was shipped out by Jose Luis Nunez after refusing to pass the then-Barcelona president toilet paper when he most needed it at the Estadio Jose Rico Perez in Alicante.

"

Jugador del Barcelona fue despedido por no pasar papel higiénico al presidente en 'atracón' https://t.co/zr6aP9Afta pic.twitter.com/tsI9zJOMzz

— Latina Deportes (@Latina_Deportes) March 13, 2016"

Neeskens, a former Ajax player, spent five years at the Camp Nou and was a fan favourite, but that didn't stop Nunez saying he would sell him at the next opportunity, a promise he kept when the New York Cosmos came calling soon afterward.

The 64-year-old returned to Barcelona as an assistant manager in 2006 under Frank Rijkaard, but he was sacked along with his compatriot at the end of the 2007/08 season.

Barcelona fans might be thankful the likes of Leo Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez aren't pranking Josep Maria Bartomeu in quite the same way these days.

[Mirror]