BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona’s embattled club president has no intention of resigning after more than 20,000 club members signed a petition for Josep Bartomeu and his board to face a censure vote.
“No one is thinking about stepping down,” Bartomeu told Catalan television TV3 on Saturday before Barcelona beat Elche 1-0 in its third and final preseason match.
On Thursday the group of club members wanting a change in the leadership handed in 20,687 signatures calling for a referendum over whether the board should be removed. That surpassed the 16,520 signatures — the equivalent to 15% of all members — needed to force the vote.