Josep Maria Bartomeu
A vote of no confidence has been filed against Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu as the fallout to Lionel Messi’s demand to leave the club continues.
Messi, 33, shocked Barca on Tuesday when he informed them of his desire to find a new home this summer after nearly 20 years at Camp Nou. Barca supporters gathered outside the offices at the club’s stadium upon learning of Messi’s request and chanted for Bartomeu to resign in the hope that it would convince the Argentina forward to stay.
Jordi Farre, who plans to run for the presidency in next year’s elections, has also called for Bartomeu to quit and is leading the vote of no confidence to have him removed.
“We consider that Messi’s request to leave Barcelona is the latest sign of the mess the club finds itself in,” a statement from Nou Impuls Barca, which is the slogan for Farre’s campaign, said.
Farre will have 14 working days to gather the signatures of 15% of the club’s members, which is just under 17,000 people.
If he manages that, the vote of no confidence would then be put to the entire membership base in the form of a referendum. Two-thirds of a potential 154,000 voters would have to go against the board in the second stage in order for an election to be called immediately.
In July, another group of Barcelona members had announced plans to launch a vote of no confidence against Bartomeu because of the ‘unacceptable management’ of the club.
In a statement released before the humiliating defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Cor Blaugrana, the collective of Barca fans from various supporters’ groups behind the action, said they had grown fed up with the Catalan club’s top brass and argued that change was needed immediately.