Barcelona President Bartomeu set to face no confidence vote after petition is verified

Things haven’t been shaping up well as far as Josep Maria Bartomeu’s plans for Barcelona are considered, over the past couple of seasons. The Barcelona President, who once dreamt of continuing his reins at the club with the aim of getting re-elected in 2021, now has the clock ticking against him. Bartomeu faces a vote of no confidence, which could bring an end to his tenure prematurely as early as next month.

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Barcelona president Bartomeu faces vote of no confidence 

According to a report by ESPN, Barcelona President Bartomeu could face the axe before his term ends in March next year. A vote of no confidence has been initiated against arguably the most controversial figure at Camp Nou, with more than 16,500 signatories in agreement. The Mes que una Mocio campaign was launched in August, a day after club legend Lionel Messi expressed his desire of leaving in the summer, for Bartomeu's ouster.

Bartomeu has been at loggerheads with the six-time Ballon d’Or winner for the past couple of seasons. The heated relationship between the two prominent personalities escalated for the worse when Messi took on the club eye-to-eye in an attempt to seek a departure. Barcelona President-hopeful Jordi Farre described this situation as the tip of the iceberg.

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Bartomeu's ouster on the cards

Farre initiated the petition against Bartomeu’s ouster that saw at least 20,000 signatories in favour. However, the signatures are subject to verification by a commission set up by Barcelona before heading towards the showdown. On Wednesday, 16,521 signatures were verified, a number that is deemed sufficient to trigger a vote of no confidence against the Barcelona President.

Barcelona will now fix a date to hold a referendum for Bartomeu’s ouster, in which 154,000 members are eligible to participate. At least 66.6 per cent i.e. two-third of the total votes polled must be in favour of Bartomeu’s ouster. In the event that the required number of votes are polled, an election to elect a new president will be held.

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Will Bartomeu resign before vote of no confidence?

Farre is the top contender to replace Bartomeu, although the likes of Victor Font and Joan Laporte are also reported to be keen on contesting for the Barcelona Presidency. Some local reports in Spain suggest that Bartomeu might tender his resignation before the vote of no confidence is initiated against him.

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Image courtesy: Josep Bartomeu Twitter