Barcelona set to distance themselves from Ronaldinho and Rivaldo

Barcelona and Brazil legends Rivaldo and Ronaldinho celebrate scoring a goal in a past match [Courtesy]

Barcelona look set to reduce club legends Ronaldinho and Rivaldo's roles as club ambassadors following their support for a right-wing Brazilian presidential candidate.

The 2002 World Cup winners are regarded as icons in Catalonia, and frequently appear in marketing roles, sponsorship initiatives, club events and Legends' matches as two of the most recognisable faces in Barca's recent history.

But, according to Spanish publication Sport, the fact that they've thrown their weight behind Jair Bolsonaro as a future president of Brazil has angered those in the corridors of power at the Nou Camp.

They don't want to be seen to be associated with Bolsonaro, who has been accused of racism, misogyny and homophobia and has been dubbed 'Brazil's Donald Trump'

The latest polls give Bolsonaro a commanding lead over left-leaning rival Fernando Haddad, taking 59 per cent of the popular vote compared to his opponent's 41 per cent.

The 63-year-old Bolsonaro is a seven-term congressman who is a defender of the military dictatorship Brazil was under between 1964 and 1985.

Barcelona look set to reduce club legends Ronaldinho and Rivaldo's roles as club ambassadors [Courtesy]

He has pitched himself as the anti-establishment candidate and is making headway as Brazilians turn against Haddad's Workers Party, which has become embroiled in corruption charges following the imprisonment of its founder, former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, last year.

Of the former Barcelona pair, Ronaldinho has been the most vocal in his support for Bolsonaro, calling on his fellow Brazilians to vote for the Sao Paulo-born former Brazilian Army captain.

Rivaldo has also backed him, and although Barca are reluctant to condemn the pair publicly, they are unhappy as they feel that Bolsonaro's values go against the ones they hold as a club.