Bartomeu nears no-confidence vote from Barcelona members

Madrid, Sept 17, 2020 (AFP) - Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is set to face a vote of no confidence after a petition to remove him gained the required number of signatures from members on Thursday.

If the signatures are approved, a vote will be held in October, when two thirds of those voting must go against the current board in order to trigger presidential elections.

Those elections would take place some time between November and January, an advance on the current schedule, which will not see them happening until March.

Bartomeu and his regime have overseen a period of chaos and decline at Barca, which culminated in Lionel Messi trying to leave the club this summer.

Messi accused the board of having "no project or anything for a long time".

He also said Bartomeu had "broken his word" over a clause in his contract that Messi claimed allowed him to go for free.

The Argentina forward could still depart when his contract expires next summer but a different board could change his thinking before he is able to negotiate with other clubs in January.

Victor Font, one of the leading rival candidates to become Barcelona's president, has linked his candidacy to the arrival of Xavi Hernandez, Messi's former teammate, as coach.

The motion against Bartomeu was brought forward by 'Mes Que Una Mocio' (More Than A Motion), who announced on Thursday they had 20,731 signatures, significantly more than the 16,520 needed to reach the second stage.

The signatures will be presented to the club for approval later on Thursday.