(mirror) -- Barca shirts sporting the Qatar Airways sponsorship logo are said to have been outlawed amid tensions in the Persian Gulf region over alleged links between extremist groups and Qatar.

The ban comes amid a diplomatic row as Saudi Arabia, along with Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE, blacklisted entities and individuals that they believed connected Qatar to extremist groups.

Qatar rejects the claims.

 Barcelona's deal with the Qatar Sports Investment in 2011 was historic for the club as it was the first time the Catalans had a sponsor on their shirt.

That deal ends on June 30 when Rakuten, a Japanese e-commerce company, takes Qatar Airways' place for the 2017-18 season.