Barcelona president Sandro Rosell says his club have proven they are still the world's leading football power.
Back-to-back defeats against Real Madrid and a 2-0 Champions League loss away to AC Milan in February had prompted some to speculate this dip was symptomatic of a deeper decline at the club.
But Rosell said in an interview with Mundo Deportivo that there was never any serious cause for concern, and played down the significance of the 4-0 win over Milan.
"If the question is from the point of view of those who began to doubt (it makes sense), because I did not remove any burden," he replied when asked whether victory over AC Milan took a weight off Barcelona.
"If it is from a sporting point of view, because I want to win with Barca, the players were more animated, especially to make sure Tito (Vilanova) had the best reception on his return – that took a thousand kilos off us.
"But if we're talking about a crisis, institutional or in terms of values, I could not see that anywhere because there was no burden to remove. Barca is still the best team in the world.
"I think this story is more to do with the media than reality. These things do not interest me."
Rosell also took the opportunity to praise the work of Jordi Roura, who will step down from his role in charge of the first team after Vilanova's return from cancer treatment in New York.
"For me Roura has been a hero, despite knowing that some people say I exaggerate," the 49-year-old Spaniard said
"He has done extraordinary work and has demonstrated loyalty that is rarely seen in people today. He has done his job very well and so far has earned his salary then we'll see what happens."
