Bartomeu resigns as Barcelona president

JOSEP Bartomeu has resigned as Barcelona president, along with the entire board of the Spanish club.

Various reports claimed on Wednesday night that Bartomeu quit the post as a result of pressure from Barcelona fans.

The president fell out of favour with the club’s fanbase after the 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League in August.

Lionel Messi’s desire to leave Barcelona was ultimately a fatal blow to Bartomeu’s presidency as fans blamed him for making their icon unhappy.

Bartomeu had been due to end his term in 2021 but the Barcelona’s members insisted on a vote of no confidence in a bid effort to force him out immediately.

A total of 20,687 votes were gathered for the motion against Bartomeu, passing the 16,250 signatures required for the vote to go ahead.

Bartomeu became Barcelona president in January 2014 and oversaw the club’s 2015 Champions League title.

The club also won four LaLiga titles during his reign but off-the-field dealings saw his popularity plummet.