Jordi Cruyff has urged Barcelona fans to get behind every player in the team after they jeered contract rebel Ousmane Dembele on Thursday night.
The lightning-quick attacker has just a handful of months remaining on his current deal and has refused to pen fresh terms with the Spanish giants.
Despite his contract wrangle, Dembele featured for Barcelona during Thursday night's 1-1 draw with Napoli in the Europa League - only to be jeered all night.
Barcelona fans booed every time the Frenchman touched the ball at the Nou Camp.
And that behaviour has been called into question by Cruyff, who urged fans to get behind "all the players who wear the shirt".
Join the debate! Where do you think Dembele will end up after he quits Barcelona? Let us know here.
"You have to support all the players who wear the shirt, from the first day to the last," Cruyff said. "Sometimes things don't go the way you want, Dembélé didn't renew but if the coach uses him, you have to support him when he plays."
And although he sympathised with fans thoughts on the situation, he was keen to stress how the negative reaction ended up being detrimental to Barca.
He added: "I can understand the public, but I hope Dembélé doesn't get whistled anymore, it causes us to play 10 against 12, we have to support our players."
Dembele was making his first appearance at the Nou Camp since it was confirmed that the 24-year-old had turned down a new contract from the club.
The former Borussia Dortmund star is now poised to quit the club at the end of the season when his deal is up - meaning Barcelona face losing their £135million man for nothing.
Dembele was instructed to find a new club in the January transfer window by Barca director Mateu Alemany, but a switch away failed to materialise.
And Xavi Hernandez looks set to continue selecting Dembele despite the saga over his future rumbling on in the background.
He had called on fans to cease booing the unpopular attacker after Dembele's inclusion on the bench during a previous clash with Atletico Madrid caused a similar reaction.
Xavi said at the time: "The fans were 10 of 10 and the support was brilliant throughout the game.
"But I would like them to support Ousmane, too. I'd ask them to stop booing him."
And now Cruyff, who is the son of Barcelona legend Johan, has adopted a similar stance.
The Dutchman is currently an advisor to Barca president Joan Laporta.
Dembele didn't do much to silence the fans after a subdued showing in the stalemate with Napoli.
The clash was Barca's first in the competition for 18 years, but they fell behind midway through the first half.
Piotr Zielinski rifled the Italian outfit into the lead before Ferran Torres converted a penalty on the hour mark to ensure the two sides are level ahead of the return leg.
