La Liga: Barcelona's future uncertain with presidential elections to be held in summer 2015
Wednesday 7 January 2015 17:43, UK
Barcelona have announced they will hold presidential elections this summer amid growing uncertainty over the club's future.
Reports across Spanish media claim the Catalan club are in a state of crisis, with a fractured relationship between manager Luis Enrique and his players underwriting recent sackings in the club’s recruitment department and disharmony in the board room.
Current president Josep Bartomeu took over last summer after Sandro Russell resigned and was due to stay in charge until 2016, but Bartomeu announced in a press conference on Wednesday that he needed to "ease tension".
"I taken the decision to call elections so as to ease the tension, which I believe to be disproportionate and doesn't reflect the reality of the club," Bartomeu said.
Some Spanish newspapers have claimed Enrique, whose side lost to David Moyes’ Real Sociedad last weekend, is set to follow director of football Andoni Zubizarreta and assistant Carles Puyol – a club legend – in being sacked this week.
But Sky Sports’ Spanish football expert Guillem Balague believes the former Barcelona and Spain midfielder's future is safe until a potential new president arrives in the summer, which could be former chief Joan Laporta.
Balague told Sky Sports News HQ: “The story is that there has been a division between the manager and a lot of the players.
"A lot of people are pointing at Lionel Messi but there are a lot of other players that don’t believe in Luis Enrique. They think his instructions are too confusing and they don’t have a clear idea of what he wants to do.
“As a consequence you are seeing a bad Barcelona. Even though they are only one point from Real Madrid at the top of La Liga and still in the Champions League, they are not playing very good football.
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“With all that in mind, some media have reported Luis Enrique could be sacked. I don’t hear that and in fact it seems the president wants to keep him.
"Obviously we will see how the next few weeks develop but there is no immediacy in the sacking of Luis Enrique for sure.”
Speaking in his press conference ahead of Thursday night's La Liga clash at home to Elche, Enrique remained defiant over the way he treats his players and insists he has their backing, as well as that of the current board.
“I am not going to confirm or deny these supposed stories that appear because they are too varied and there are too many of them,” the former Roma boss said.
“I don't have anything to regret with any of my players. Every coach has to manage his squad as he sees fit.
“I feel I have the backing of the club and the players. What I have to do is my job the best I can and in the manner I think is best for the team and the club.”
