Barcelona have confirmed that they are verifying all signatures for a vote of no confidence against the board and club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
The Més que una Moció platform was launched at the start of this month and had required 16,250 signatures in order to trigger the motion, with the platform claiming they gathered 20,687 votes – as per Diario Sport.
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A rigorous process will now take place over the course of ten days to verify the signatures and allow a motion to either be held or withdrawn.
The club statement reads: “The table will be able to invalidate the members that are not sufficiently accredited and will be able to carry out the necessary inquiries to resolve their authenticity.”
Marta Plana and Jordi Argemí will represent the board in the process, while the representative of the Catalan Football Federation (FCF) will be Josep Maria Vallbona.
Jordi Farré and Josep Triadó, the first two signatories of the motion, will also be involved along with Joan Trayter, Síndic of the ‘soci’, but he will not hold a vote despite having a say in the conversation.
The position of Bartomeu at Barcelona has come under great scrutiny in recent times following a trophyless campaign combined with Lionel Messi’s attempted forced exit from the club, which the board blocked.
Earlier this month, Catalan police accused the beleaguered club supremo on corruption charges, although Bartomeu continues to deny such allegations.
His term as club president will end next year with elections called for March, but a group of fans want to force an earlier exit this year, as per Diari Catalunya.
Bartomeu has held the position for two terms but he will nominate a ‘continuity’ candidate who is close to the incumbent and comes from a side of the club’s board which is viewed as more conservative.
The Catalan entrepreneur started in the role in 2014, following the resignation of Sandro Rosell – who was his close friend and associate who served as his vice-president.
All candidates come from different sections within the club’s hierarchy, with differing views on how the club should be run and what it stands for.
