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Members of Futbol Club Barcelona have filled social media with their outrage after it transpired today that voters in Catalonia will be able to travel outside their municipal boundaries - despite the current Covid-19 municipal confinement - in order to attend political rallies. A measure that they contrast with the conservatism of Barça's interim management board, which not only postponed the club's own elections that were to have been held the day before yesterday, but set a new date of March 7th, subject to a partial easing of confinement measures, and with the introduction of postal voting by standard mail.

Translation:
"Mr Tusquets, you now have the endorsement of the Catalan government for all club members to be able to go to the polls on the first Sunday in February with their mobility certificates. Mr Tusquets, now you must, defend and respect the interests of the institution."— Jordi Finestres

"No more excuses are possible, on the 28th let's have the campaign, on the 6th Feb a day of reflection and on the 7th February EVERYONE TO VOTE, @ FCBarcelona  WE'VE HAD ENOUGH !"— Gabriel Cid.

"We need to find out the scope of the measure to determine who is responsible, and to what extent, for deciding and executing the #EleccionesFCB. It is unbelievable that an election rally is allowed but not a vote"— Cor Blaugrana

"And there was no authorization to break the municipal lockdown to exercise the fundamental right to vote of about 50,000 Barça members. Inexplicable. #FCB Dictatorship"— Bernat Molina

And the fact is that Barça fans are becoming more and more impatient, seeing the mismanagement of a club that urgently needs a new president and a new board of directors that will start taking action. Indeed, apart from the need to start planning the squad for next season, is the economic area. It was already well-known that Barça is not well off financially, but the situation has become dramatic after the club's financial report was made public yesterday. The club is in debt to the tune of 1.17 billion euros, and currently, players' salaries account for a whopping 74% of the club's total income.

Joan Laporta's team add to the criticism

As for the candidates for the FC Barcelona elections, the only group who have publicly expressed an opinion have been those close to Joan Laporta, the candidate who has called most strongly for a vote as soon as possible, due to the dramatic situation of the club. Elena Fort, who will be part of the board if the Estimem el Barça candidacy wins the elections, wrote on Twitter: "But for the Barça elections, where the expected mobility did not exceed 15,000 people, they were refused... So, many things to reflect upon!".

And Enric Masip, a former Barça handball captain, who will be part of Laporta's team if the former club president wins the vote again, also expressed his view. "This is an insult! That you can break the confinement to go to an electoral meeting and yet not to be able to vote (elections in Barça) shows whose hands we are in. Thanks to the Catalan government and the politicians for the decision. I hope you rectify and allow the vote now!” he says.

 

 

 

Main image: Barça's coat of arms on the doors of the club's offices / Europa Press