SAN FRANCISCO, October 27, (THEWILL) – Spanish entrepreneur Josep Maria Bartomeu has resigned as Barcelona president, according to various reports from sources close to the club.
The 57-year-old opted to depart alongside the rest of the club’s directors after a meeting on Tuesday afternoon. This decision comes prior to the vote of no confidence Bartomeu was certain to face at the start of next month.
THEWILL believes that vote was largely responsible for the resolution of Barca’s hierarchy to resign.
The top managers of the club did everything in their power to get the Generalitat de Catalunya, translated as the Government of Catalonia, to rethink the idea of authorising a referendum due to health concerns amid a rising coronavirus infection rate in the region. It failed as the board remained intent on holding the vote.
The insistence of the Generalitat must have forced Bartomeu’s hand to propose a club-wide resignation to the club’s directors. The proposal was approved without discussion and that was the end of his six-year reign as president.
The Spaniard had been under intense pressure at Camp Nou after presiding over one of the most turbulent seasons in the side’s recent history that included an 8-2 European humiliation, two managerial departures and Lionel Messi’s infamous burofax about his intention to leave the club.
THEWILL believes this news will satisfy the majority of Barca fans and, interestingly, most of the playing staff. And, with Bartomeu out the door, the club can now firmly set their sights on moving into a new era.
About the Author
