Barcelona have set the date for their upcoming presidential election as they look to find a successor following Josep Bartomeu's resignation last month.
The 57-year-old called time on his tumultuous tenure at the Nou Camp in October following a series of high-profile fallings out with the players, most notably mega-star Lionel Messi.
Under Bartomeu's stewardship, the club's finances hit a new low, the chief upset the dressing room during wage cut negotiations amid coronavirus, while Messi looked to force an exit from the club, such was his unhappiness with the direction the Catalan giants were taking.
Bartomeu's exit, then, came as no surprise. Now Barcelona's board have decided that the date for their presidential election will be Sunday 24 January 2021.
The board opted for the 24th over the 17th, despite the fact Barcelona travel to Elche on the former date.
'In the course of the next few weeks the final electoral calendar will be made official, as well as the venues and logistics of the entire process,' a statement from the club read via Sport.
There is a broad field of candidates vying for the position at the top of the Barcelona hierarchy. Victor Font, Toni Freixa, Agusti Benedito, Jordi Farre, Luis Fernandez Ala and Xavier Vilajoana have all announced their intentions to run for presidency.
Whoever is elected to the top position faces a series of tricky challenges left behind by Bartomeu. The first of which is to convince Messi to stay on board after a shock summer stand off.
The 33-year-old sought to trigger a release clause that would have allowed him to walk away from the club for free last summer, ending a near two decade spell in Barcelona.
However, Bartomeu and Barcelona disputed the legitimacy of the clause, and insisted that the Argentine would only leave if his £600m release clause was met, with Manchester City and PSG strongly linked with the star.
Messi eventually conceded defeat in his bid to leave the club, stressing that he did not want to become embroiled in a legal dispute with Barcelona.
Furthermore, the new president will not be afforded much time to help bolster Ronald Koeman's squad. The president will be elected on January 24, giving them a mere week to work the January transfer market, which closes on February 1.
The Dutch coach has been eager to sign Lyon star Memphis Depay, but saw an attempt to prise the attacker from France last summer fail with the club unable to offload fringe players to generate the cash required to land the 26-year-old.
kenyannerd
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Bartomeu to valverde I told you soon enough I'll join you🤣🤣