One of the presidential hopefuls at Barcelona has questioned whether the elections can be held this month is the Covid-19 pandemic is not contained.
Carlos Tusquets is the current interim president of the Blaugrana but elections will be held on 24 January with multiple candidates vying to replace the departed Josep Maria Bartomeu, an issue dominating Barcelona news.
Emili Rousaud – a former vice-president of the club who resigned last year – is among those in the running, but he has cast doubt on the agreed date.
Rousaud was mired in controversy with the club earlier this year after he claimed that individuals involved on the board – who have subsequently resigned – were seeking to use the club for personal profit.
Speaking to Marca, Rousaud said of the possibility of a delay: “This situation should be analysed by the electoral board and assess whether it would be convenient to do some kind of temporary suspension until the restrictions are lifted.
“If not, we are infringing the right of our members. We will be awaiting the recommendations. The right to health of our members must prevail.
“If it is considered that it is not convenient, they will have to be postponed. We must prioritise certain things and what comes first is people’s health. We are still far from the 24th, but it occurs to me that the elections will not be held if the pandemic is not controlled.”
Rousaud has pledged to rename the club’s Camp Nou stadium after Lionel Messi if he wins the position of presidency, as he told Marca in November.
