Barcelona ‘members’ to elect new president amid club crisis
BARCELONA, Spain, March 6, (AP): Just days after their last elected president spent a night in jail, members of Football Club Barcelona will vote for a new one to steer the club out of their most tumultuous period in recent memory.
Over 110,000 members are eligible to cast ballots on Sunday to choose from three men: former president Joan Laporta, businessman Víctor Font, and longtime board member Toni Freixa.
The winner – to be announced late Sunday night – will inherit a club facing daunting problems.
Barcelona’s reputation of being a socially conscientious institution expressed in theirslogan “More than a club” has been tarnished by an odd scandal that has bloomed into a police investigation into alleged misdoing. The so-called “Barçagate” centered on allegations that the former executive board had hired an internet services company to spread negative messages about its own players and opponents on social media to boost the image of senior club officials.
SOCCER
Former president Josep Bartomeu denied the accusations. But after several months of investigation, Catalan police arrested him and three other club officials on Monday on suspicions of administrative irregularities.
In addition to restoring the image of a well-run club, the new president will be hampered by a numbing debt of 1.1 billion euros ($1.3 billion). That debt load was caused in part by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic that has left Camp Nou void of spectators since March, but also because of the highest payroll in football.
The 48-year-old Font, as the only outsider of the candidates with no experience in the club’s administration, is calling for a renewal of the club.
Leipzig win
Leipzig increased the pressure on Bayern Munich with a 3-0 win at Freiburg on Saturday.
Goals from Christopher Nkunku, Alexander Sörloth and substitute Emil Forsberg gave the visitors their sixth straight league win.
Nkunku scored minutes before the interval for Leipzig, taking advantage of the first lapse from Freiburg’s defense. Kevin Kampl forced Baptiste Santamaria to loose the ball and it fell to Yussuf Poulsen, who set up Nkunku to score in the 41st.
French midfielder Nkunku provided the assist for Sörloth in the 64th, and Sörloth followed up by setting up Forsberg to seal the result in the 79th.
A late penalty from Dodi Lukebakio earned Hertha Berlin a 2-1 win over Augsburg to end their nine-game run without a win. (AP)