[ad_1]
Lionel Messi was seen casting his vote in Barcelona’s crucial presidential election on Sunday with the Barça captain’s future at Camp Nou potentially depending on the outcome.
More than 110,000 Barcelona members will go to the polls to decide who will lead the LaLiga team in the coming years after the controversial reign of Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Messi had the option of voting for former Barcelona president Joan Laporta, the race favorite, or for his presidential rivals Victor Font or Toni Frexia.
Messi almost left the club under Bartomeu after submitting a shock transfer request last year with the resignation of the former Catalans boss late last year.
The Argentine was upset with the club’s management both on and off the pitch and can leave the club for free when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Barcelona’s presidential race could be the last indication of whether Messi stays or leaves the Spanish giants, and Laporta claims the forward will only stay if elected.
Speaking about Messi’s future, Laporta recently said: ‘I have a very good relationship with him.
I am convinced that my offer will please you. And I am also convinced that if one of the other two candidates wins, Messi will not stay. ‘
If Freixa, who is considered a ‘continuity candidate’ for the presidency, wins, Messi would leave. But the 52-year-old’s chances of winning are slim.
A Font victory could also leave Messi more out than in. Font has said that he wants to offer Messi a ‘contract for life’ but there is not the same desire to build the immediate future around Messi as there is with Laporta.
Voting began at 9 a.m. local time in an election reshaped for the coronavirus pandemic. Polling will continue until 9 pm local time and a result is expected around midnight.
Of the 110,290 voting members, 22,811 have taken the opportunity to vote by mail. Polling stations have also been set up in Girona, Tarragona, Tortosa and Lleida in Catalonia and Andorra, but the club said that 78,987 members had indicated that they would vote at the Camp Nou.
The outcome of the presidential race could also have an impact on the future of Barcelona’s head coach, Ronald Koeman, and his possible replacements.
If Laporta wins, it is likely that the Dutchman will stay as coach, as the former Barcelona president has a history supporting managers who are under fire, such as Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola.
Font would likely support a manager change, but Koeman is likely to stay as manager until the end of the season. Barcelona are currently second in the LaLiga table, two points behind leader Atlético de Madrid, who will face Real Madrid on Sunday.
The election also takes place in the context of a financial crisis in Barcelona. In October, the club announced losses of 97 million euros (83.5 million pounds) for last season and debts that had more than doubled to 488 million euros (420 million pounds).
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
[ad_2]
