Barcelona sporting director defends Bartomeu

Bengaluru, September 11: Barcelona sporting director Robert Fernandez defended club president Josep Maria Bartomeu after he came under fire yet again on Saturday (September 9).

The club president has hardly been a popular figure among the fans during his stint but at the moment, the fans are desperate to see him out.

A Lionel Messi hat-trick inspired Barca to a 5-0 win over Espanyol, but a section of fans at Camp Nou still could be heard chanting as they called for the resignation of Bartomeu.

Bartomeu has been criticised in the wake of Neymar's world-record €222million transfer to Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona’s struggle to replace the Brazilian dazzler.

But Fernandez called for calm from supporters as he criticised the media, although he admitted it had been a tough period for the club.

"We have had a difficult month. The most important thing in these moments is to remain calm," he said.

"In complicated situations, with the summer we've had, calm is necessary. If we let time pass a little, we will see things differently. We respect all opinions, but the last two, three weeks have been complicated.

"The people that have had to explain things have not done it well. That includes me, among others, but also the media.

"And there are things which aren't true. News has come out which isn't real and these things do damage and create unpleasant situations."

Meanwhile, former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has signed the petition for a motion of censure against Josep Maria Bartomeu.

In power at the club between 2003 and 2010, he has frequently stated his displeasure with the current running of the Blaugrana.

"As a socio, I am the 15,142nd person to sign the #VotodeCensura2017," he tweeted. "The club is owned by socios."

The motion was put forward by former presidential candidate Agusti Benedito, who has set out a task of obtaining 16,750 signatures in order to potentially oust the current board.