After a turbulent few months at Camp Nou, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu rejected calls for resignation.
Lionel Messi’s transfer request, which ultimately went nowhere when Argentina chose to stay, first rocked the Catalan giants but the Barcelona players and staff are now said to have been involved in a dispute over the proposed pay cuts in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Bartomeu has faced heavy criticism and numerous calls for resignation since Messi announced to leave the club, but the President of Barca has insisted that despite the turmoil behind the scenes at Camp Nou, he never thought of withdrawing from his post.
Speaking at a press conference following a board meeting, the 57-year-old said, “There is no reason for me to resign.”
“It’s not an appropriate time to hand in my resignation. No-one will be able to make the decisions if I decide to resign. The idea of stepping down has never crossed my mind. Never.”
However, Bartomeu could still leave as the vote would now be cast by club members on whether or not he should be replaced, with the President of Barca set to leave if more than two-thirds of 154,000 members decide that this is the best course of action.
