The man Gerard Pique accused of being Real Madrid president Florentino Perez's "puppet" has launched a scathing attack on the Barcelona defender.
Pique appeared in a news conference on Tuesday to preview his side's Champions League game against Manchester City, but was sidetracked by a question about his decision to retire from international football after the World Cup in 2018.
"I've read that Twitter [and] stories in Marca, AS or Florentino's puppet's pamphlet OK Diario forced me out, but that wasn't the case," the 29-year-old said when stressing that his decision was final.
Reports in the local media quickly identified Eduardo Inda, the director of the Madrid-based newspaper OK Diario, as the man Pique was referring to.
Inda has replied by questioning Pique's motives for playing for Spain in the first place, adding that the 29-year-old -- who has backed calls for a referendum on Catalan independence -- only has himself to blame for being jeered by La Roja fans throughout the last 18 months.
In a video blog posted on OK Diario, Inda said: "Neither a servant [puppet] nor OK Diario have kicked you out of the national team. Your nonsense, your childishness and your anti-Spanish sentiment has kicked you out.
"I have not made the people whistle you in training and in matches. Those people criticise you because you don't feel the Spanish colours.
"You have all the right in the world to be pro-independence, but that right comes with a consequence.
"If you don't believe in Spain, which is very respectable, don't play for the national team. You join up with the national team because you like money more than a fat kid likes cake."
Another of the papers mentioned by Pique, Madrid-based AS apologised to the player earlier this month after incorrectly reporting that he had cut the Spain colours off his shirt in the World Cup qualifying win over Albania.
Pique's announcement followed those stories but he denied that they had prompted his decision, saying: "It's not because of what happened today, it's because I always give my best on the field and, although there are some people who have thanked me, some don't think it's OK for me to be here."
Prior to that controversy, Pique was accused of deliberately putting up his middle finger during the Spanish national anthem at Euro 2016.
Meanwhile, as Inda noted, he has regularly been jeered by Spain supporters due to what some see as his anti-Real Madrid and pro-Catalan independence views, although he has never publicly declared that he backs independence.