Barcelona have been plunged into further turmoil with six board members, including two former vice-presidents, stepping down from their positions at the club.
Emili Rousaud, Enrique Tombas, Silvio Elias, Josep Pont, Jordi Calsamiglia and Maria Teixidor have revealed that they're walking away due to frustrations with how president Josep Maria Bartomeu is running the LaLiga leaders and have called for fresh elections after the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We hereby want to communicate that the undersigned managers have transferred to president Bartomeu our decision to irrevocably resign from our position as managers of FC Barcelona," the six wrote in a letter to Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia.
"We have reached this point by not being able to reverse the criteria and forms of management of the club in the face of the important challenges of the future and, especially, from the new post-pandemic scenario."
They were also annoyed by how Bartomeu has handled allegations that his regime hired a company to smear players and other board members on social media earlier this year.
"We must also highlight our disenchantment with the unfortunate episode on social networks, known as 'Barcagate', which we learned about through the press.
"As a last service to our club, we recommend that as soon as circumstances allow it, to call new elections that allow, with all the 'authorities', to manage the club in the best possible way in the face of the important challenges of the most immediate future."
The Barcelona president has rubbished the claims as "completely false" and the club claim today's resignations are part of a board reshuffle.
"The resignations of the members of the board of directors announced over the last few hours have come about due to a reorganisation of the board put forward by president Josep Maria Bartomeu and which will be completed in the next few days," the Catalan club said in a statement.
"This reorganisation of the board of directors is an attempt to face the challenge of the final phase of the mandate in the best way possible with the objective being the implementation of the necessary measures to prepare for the club's future, overcoming the consequences of the public health crisis which is currently upon us and to bring to a conclusion the management programme."
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