Josep Maria Bartomeu has resigned as Barcelona president, according to various reports from sources close to the club.
The 57-year-old has opted to depart alongside the rest of the club’s directors following a meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
Their decision comes ahead of the vote of no confidence Bartomeu was set to face at the start of November, with this vote being a major factor in the Barça hierarchy’s resolution.
The top managers of the club attempted until the last minute to get the Generalitat de Catalunya to rethink its idea of authorising the referendum due to health concerns amid a rising coronavirus infection rate in the region, but the board remained intent on holding the vote.
Catalonian-based news outlet Sport reports that this refusal from the Generalitat led to Bartomeu -after supposedly leaving the decision on standby in the Board of Directors on Monday – proposing to the club’s directors a resignation and the proposal was approved without discussion, ending his six-year reign as president.
Nevertheless, it’s a swift change of heart after it was reported on Monday that Bartomeu wouldn’t resign following a crunch meeting with the board.
Bartomeu has been under intense pressure at Camp Nou after overseeing one of the most turbulent seasons in the club’s recent history; one that included an 8-2 European humiliation, two managerial departures and Lionel Messi’s infamous burofax.
The 57-year-old’s decision will undoubtedly satisfy the vast majority of Barcelona supporters and, seemingly, most of the playing staff.
With Bartomeu out the door, the club can now firmly set their sights on moving into a new era.
Source: 90min.com
