Samaranch told the COPE radio station that "we will hurt ourselves, we will waste time and it will cost us money" if a bid from the Spanish region is not fully supported.

The senior IOC official's comments followed the launch of manifesto from a group opposed to Pyrenees-Barcelona staging the Games in 2030.

Stop JJOO’s - Stop the Olympic Games - claim the region hosting the Games would have drastic socio-economic consequences and would ignore the climate change crisis.

"We have to face the future," the group wrote in its manifesto. 

"We want to live in the Pyrenees and have a life of dignity. 

"We cannot allow a 30 day event to condemn us to 30 years of misery."

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in September outlined the Government’s "firm commitment" to a candidacy from Pyrenees-Barcelona following a meeting with the Spanish Olympic Committee.

But the project has already been the subject of political wrangling in Catalonia and Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau is reportedly pressing for the city to hold a public consultation on a bid.

Samaranch, a key proponent of a Spanish bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics, said everyone must be united behind the candidature if it is to stand any chance of being successful.

"If there is no unity between all the institutions involved and civil society, there will not be and it will not be necessary to start," he told COPE.

"We will get hurt, we will waste time and it will cost us money.

"If political forces like the CUP, which support the Government of the Generalitat of Catalonia, say that they must discuss, conclude agreements and consult the territory, I agree, provided this is done before submitting the candidacy."

Pyrenees-Barcelona is one of several potential contenders to stage the 2030 Winter Olympics under the IOC's revamped system for selecting host cities.

Sapporo had been the favourite to land the hosting rights before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the Japanese city is expected to revise its planned bid to reduce costs.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently told IOC President Thomas Bach in-person that Ukraine is "determined" to become a Winter Olympic host.

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee has yet to decide over whether to push ahead with a Salt Lake City bid for either 2030 or 2034.

Vancouver has also eyed a bid for the Games, 20 years on from the Canadian city last hosting the event.

Concerns over Pyrenees-Barcelona's candidacy for 2030 come as a survey in Madrid revealed support for the city entering the race for the 2036 Olympics.

According to the poll, 58.1 per cent of respondents said they would be in favour of the Spanish capital bidding for the Games.

Madrid unsuccessfully bid for the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympics.

It lost out to Rio de Janeiro in the final round of voting for the 2016 Games awarded to Rio de Janeiro and was eliminated from contention in the third round in the 2012 election, which was won by London. 

Madrid had also bid for the 1972 Olympic Games, which took place in Munich.