Barcelona terminated the contract of midfielder Sergi Guardiola just hours after he signed because of a series of "offensive" tweets, the club said on Monday.
Guardiola, 24, signed to play for Barca B on Monday, and the team announced the move on their website, complete with photos.
But by the end of the day they had taken down that report and soon posted another that said the contract was no longer valid.
[FOTOS] Les noves incorporacions, a punt per començar a entrenar https://t.co/qw4PIIqIse #FCBB #FCBMasia #2bg3 pic.twitter.com/ardWoVb7cw
- FC Barcelona - Masia (@FCBmasia) December 28, 2015
A statement on the club website said: "FC Barcelona has decided to terminate the contract signed with Sergi Guardiola, after finding that he had published offensive tweets about the club and Catalonia."
Guardiola had protected his Twitter account by Monday night.
AS reports that two of the offending tweets were posted during last month's Clasico, in which Barcelona beat Real Madrid 4-0 at the Bernabeu, read "I wouldn't put Messi in my team, he stops the others from playing," and "Up Madrid and f--- Catalonia."
The player apologised for that incident, but denied posting other tweets attributed to him that were reported to have been put online in 2013.
"I know I have done wrong. I apologise to Catalonia, to Barca and two whoever has been offended," he said.
"There were some tweets from three years ago, after a training session, and I did not write them. I know I did not write them. But if I was Barca, I'd have done the same."
Barca B did complete the signings of midfielder Xemi from Cornella and left-back Moises Delgado of Sevilla Atletico, who will join training on Tuesday.