Barcelona have sacked Andoni Zubizarreta as their director of football, the Spanish club said on Monday, and his assistant Carles Puyol has resigned.

"The FC Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has decided to terminate as of today the contract of the club's Director of Football, Andoni Zubizarreta," Barca said in a statement on their website.

“The president, in the name of the club, thanks Andoni Zubizarreta for his contribution, dedication and professionalism over the last four years in his role at the head of the club’s football area.”

The 53-year-old Zubizarreta, Barcelona’s goalkeeper from 1986 to 1994 who also played 126 times for Spain, rejoined the club as football director in 2010.

Puyol retired as a player last year after 15 seasons at the heart of the Barcelona defence. He was a member of the Spain team who which won the 2010 World Cup and 2008 European Championship.

“I now want to experience other things from another perspective and from elsewhere,” the 36-year-old said on Facebook.

“I want to grow both personally and professionally so that, in the future, hopefully I can return.”

Barca are second in La Liga, one point behind arch-rivals Real Madrid, and play Manchester City in the Champions League last 16 next month.