Barcelona's João Cancelo took to social media on Tuesday with an indirect message, firing back after the Catalans' back-to-back defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. The Portugal full-back leaned on a song about self-belief and the determination to overcome adversity.
Cancelo posted a black-and-white photo of himself from behind, set to "Yo creo en mí" (I believe in myself) by the singer El Arminio. Its lyrics centre on resilience in a crisis, rising after a fall and trusting your own ability under pressure.
No caption came with it. Just the photo and the song, a message that seemed to underline the strength of his character and his ability to ride out the rough patches amid Barcelona's recent results.
This wasn't the first time he'd used his accounts to hit back at criticism. After Barcelona's trip to the Parc des Princes to face Paris Saint-Germain, he'd posted a sharp message defending just how hard it is to compete at the very top given the pressures players face.
"Everyone in the stands is an expert, and I would like to see them come down onto the pitch and handle the pressure," Cancelo wrote at the time, attaching Michael Jackson's "They Don't Care About Us" to the post.
His latest message sticks to that same theme of self-belief and defiance in the face of criticism. Barcelona, meanwhile, are trying to put two defeats behind them and rediscover their rhythm after stumbling against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.