Barcelona's President Josep Maria Bartomeu, centre smiles as fans boo him during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Eibar at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday Feb. 22, 2020. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has submitted his resignation from the club, Spanish newspaper Sport reported on Tuesday.

Bartomeu has been facing growing resentment in the last year due to the club’s worsening finances and the team’s decline on the pitch, which came to a head with their 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals in August.

Bartomeu, who has also been widely criticised after talisman forward Lionel Messi requested a transfer following the Champions League humiliation, was facing a vote of no confidence from the club’s ‘socios’.

He took over from Sandro Rosell in 2014.

TOPSHOT - Barcelona's Spanish defender Gerard Pique (R) poses beside his jersey and Barcelona FC president Josep Maria Bartomeu during the official announcement of his contract renewal at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on January 29, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / LLUIS GENE

 

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