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Barcelona do not rule out Ibrahimovic sale

MADRID - Barcelona have not ruled out the sale of Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the club’s director general Joan Oliver said Monday following controversial comments made by the player’s agent last week.

The agent, Mino Raiola, was quoted as saying by Spanish media that Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola should go to a psychiatric hospital if he did not make greater use of the 28-year-old in the upcoming season.

“We didn’t like Mr Mino Raiola’s statements at all, especially the tone. The reference to the coach is in very bad taste,” Oliver said in comments published on the club’s website.

“The club doesn’t need money. We don’t want to sell. But if things get too complicated, there will be no option but to sell the player. However, that’s not the intention of the club at this moment,” he added.

Ibrahimovic, who joined Barcelona in July 2009 from Inter Milan, has had a mixed first season at Barcelona.

He scored 16 times for the club in the Spanish league but failed to win over fans and ended the season on the substitutes’ bench.

His centre-forward role was taken over by teenager Bojan Krkic and he will face even more competition next season from Spanish international striker David Villa who joined Barcelona from Valencia earlier this month.