FC Barcelona directors quit after a turmoil in the boardroom

Six directors have made the first move in the boardroom chess match at FC Barcelona, as a group led by vice president Emili Rousaud have handed their resignations. It all started in February when Spanish radio station Cadena SER claimed the club had hired a social media firm to attack current players Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique and defend president, Josep Bartomeu.

The club denied all accusations in the beginning but citing the scandal and the handling of the coronavirus pandemic that has seen the cLub ask all staff to take a 70% pay cut, six directors felt the need to step down.

The group includes Rousaud, Enrique Tombas, Silvio Elias, Maria Teixidor, Josep Pont and Jordi Clasamiglia. According to the Standard, the statement read: “We hereby want to communicate that the directors below signatories have transferred to President Bartomeu our decision to irrevocably resign from our status as FC Barcelona executives.”

“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 in particular, from the new post-pandemic scenario. We must also highlight our disillusion over the unfortunate social media episode, known as ‘Barcagate’, of which we found out through the press.”

Reports suggest that the president wanted to ‘remodel’ the board which indirectly meant the removal of 90% of the members who stepped down. Rousaud was open about the fact that Bartomeu called him personally and spoke about the lack of trust he had on the members, including him.

The social media scandal had troubled a lot of players mentally and that was one of the main reasons the president wanted to take quick action. Rousaud also denied all the claims that were put on him and colleagues and he felt that they did not deserve such a treatment, that too in the middle of confinement.

featured image credits- in.reuters.com