Josep Maria Bartomeu has finally resigned: the president of FC Barcelona left his post on Tuesday, October 27, five months before the next elections. In conflict with star Lionel Messi and targeted by a motion of censure, he abandons a Barça in the midst of a sports and budgetary crisis.
It is the epilogue of long months of violent shocks, in an atmosphere of the end of reign: three days after the clasico de Liga lost 3-1 to Real Madrid on Saturday in an empty Camp Nou, Bartomeu gave in to the pressure. He ended up submitting his resignation … although he had declared on Monday not to have “Reasons to resign”. However, it ended up happening, putting an end to six years of presidency for this former right-hand man of President Sandro Rosell (2010-2014), who had succeeded at short notice to his former mentor targeted by Spanish justice.
“I am appearing today to inform you of my resignation and that of the rest of the management committee. It is a thoughtful, calm, joint decision approved by all my employees ”, Bartomeu said at a press conference.
After days of uncertainty, against a backdrop of disagreements on the date and organization of the vote on the motion of censure endorsed by thousands of socios (supporters-shareholders), Bartomeu and his management committee have decided to tender their resignation. A transitional management commission, with limited powers, will now have to manage the organization of the new elections within three months of its creation.
Page Contents
Many resignations
Bartomeu thus puts an end to a deleterious situation that has lasted since January 2020, with the defeat in the semifinals of the Spanish Supercup then the dismissal in the wake of coach Ernesto Valverde, which began the slow downfall of the illustrious FC Barcelona.
In February already, the image of Bartomeu was greatly tarnished: the president then denies being at the origin of a campaign of slander targeting figures of the club on social networks and whose aim was to improve his image. Cadena Ser radio shows, however, that Barça paid 1 million euros in six separate invoices to the company I3 Ventures to manipulate public opinion on social networks.
The socios are scandalized. In April, six members of the board of directors resigned, against the backdrop of disagreements over Bartomeu’s management method.
And the Covid-19 pandemic does not interrupt the crisis of the Barça institution. In a club already in debt (200 million euros in net debt since 2019), the health crisis has led to new losses, estimated at 200 million euros. Barça separates during the summer from some big salaries in the locker room: Arthur, Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal, Luis Suarez… And the club asks for salary efforts from the rest of the workforce.
The departure of Messi, thunderclap
But the decisive blow will come in August: Bartomeu finds himself terribly weakened after a catastrophic first half of 2020, then a historic rout (8-2) against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon. A few days later, thunderclap: Messi, emblematic captain and legend of Camp Nou, announces to the club that he wishes to leave.
Bartomeu refuses and forces him to stay, according to the terms of his contract, until the summer of 2021, by posing an ultimatum to the Argentine: if Messi publicly says that his problem is Bartomeu, then he will resign.
Messi will never admit it publicly and will change his mind. But public opinion lines up behind “La Pulga”, which criticizes its leaders in a resounding interview:
“There is no project, nothing. They just juggle and plug holes as things happen. “
Departure on a last blow of brilliance
Bartomeu, reelected to everyone’s surprise with 54% of the vote in July 2015, in the wake of a sumptuous Liga-Cup-Champions League treble, will therefore not go to the end of his mandate marked by many trophies (4 Ligas , 4 Cups of the King …), but as many scandals, such as for example the judicial inquiries into the conditions of the transfer of Neymar.
This 57-year-old business leader, father of two, left on a final blow: after announcing his resignation, he revealed that the management committee had accepted that the Catalan giant participate in a future European Superleague .
This project, a sea serpent in European football, is supposed to favor the most powerful and wealthy clubs on the continent and will, if it really see the light of day, in competition with the events headed by UEFA, including the Champions League.
