Barcelona president sends message to fans: 'I ask you to keep supporting the team'

There is no denying the fact that FC Barcelona is in the midst of a crisis and president Joan Laporta has personally asked fans for their support once more and to remain calm amid the troubling situation.

"Hello Culers (Barcelona fans). I ask you to keep supporting our team," he began, in a video shared on Twitter after the club's 1-1 draw against Granada in their La Liga Santander clash on Monday.

Fans were outraged by the result, especially after coming off a heavy 3-0 defeat at home at the hands of Bayern Munich last week. Manager Ronald Koeman has been under fire, with many calling for his sacking.

Laporta has an ongoing war of words with the manager, but he made no mention of the Dutchman in his video appeal to the fans.

"The team needs you, and [they are] thankful to you. You know we are experiencing a difficult time and these are the moments when you need to stand by us," he said, while looking nervous as he spoke from inside his office.

"This week, a Barcelona delegation is going to the Palos de la Frontera to a supporters' club event, which coincides with the match in Cadiz. In Cadiz, you can be sure that the team will try to win," he said, knowing that the fans simply won't be able to accept another disappointing result.

"I don't know what will happen, but no matter what, in the next match against Levante this week, keep supporting our team. The team needs it," he added.

Laporta also addressed the growing dissatisfaction among club supporters. He tried to assure them that he and his board are taking action to turn things around. However, he knows that patience is running out, especially after he failed to deliver on his promise to find a way to keep Lionel Messi.

Before getting elected as club president in March, Laporta made his case in the campaign by saying that convincing Messi to stay is his top priority. Everyone knows that the Argentine was forced to leave and sign with Paris Saint-Germain after Barcelona were unable to free up space in their salary cap. On top of that, they also lost Antoine Griezmann on a loan deal to Atletico Madrid as they sought ways to slash their wage bill.

"Try to remain calm, we know what needs to be done and we will sort it," he concluded.

The publication of the videos show how desperate the situation is getting, and Laporta knows that his job is on the line if the club fails to produce results in the coming weeks. Manager Ronald Koeman has remained calm, knowing that he has a clause in his contract that protects his interests with a hefty compensation should the club terminate his employment prematurely.