Six Barcelona board members resign, call for new presidential election

Six members of Barcelona board have submitted their resignation letter, stating that they are unhappy at how the club is being managed under Josep Maria Bartomeu.

The six directors, which include two vice-presidents, called for Barca to call new presidential elections.

Bartomeu has been Barcelona’s president since 2014 and the board members who quitted on Friday expressed concern over the handling of a social media scandal in February and also the financial implications of the coronavirus crisis for the club.

“We have arrived at this point because we cannot reverse the way the club is managed in the face of important challenges in the future, especially in the post-pandemic era,” the six said in their letter.

Read Also: Late Messi penalty takes Barca top of La Liga

“We also want to show our displeasure over the unfortunate episode about the social media accounts, known as ‘Barcagate’, which we learned about through the press.

“As our last act of service to the club, we recommend that elections are called as soon as circumstances permit so that the club can be managed in the best way possible and deal with the important challenges of the immediate future.”

Emili Rousaud and Enrique Tombas – two of the club’s four vice-presidents – quit alongside four directors: Silvio Elias, Josep Pont, Jordi Calsamiglia and Maria Teixidor.

The club has however officially denied “serious and unfounded accusations” about the running of the club made by Rousaud in the Spanish media and said they “reserve the right to any legal action that may correspond.”

Last month, Barcelona players agreed to take a 70% pay cut to cushion the effect of the coronavirus pandemic.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now