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Fourth director joins Barcelona exodus
The rift in the Barcelona board widened further on Thursday when Jordi Moix followed the example of vice-president Sandro Rosell and fellow director Josep Maria Bartomeu by handing in his resignation.
The resignations came two days after director Jordi Mones said he was quitting and provided more evidence of disagreements over the way president Joan Laporta has been running the club. Rosell, who was in charge of the overall sporting direction of the club, was Laporta's right hand man when he was elected president two years ago and played an instrumental role in persuading midfielders Ronaldinho and Deco to sign for Barca. "I'm leaving without any bad feeling," Rosell told a news conference in Barcelona. "But if these resignations make him (Laporta) correct his mistakes and resolve his conflict with himself then it will be good for the club." Rosell said part of the reason for the split within the board was a result of the influence former player and coach Johan Cruyff was exerting on Laporta, even though the Dutchman does not hold any official post within the club. "If I could tell him something then I would say: 'Johan, seriously, for the good of everyone move away and let Joan relax a little'," Rosell said. SECRECY Rosell also condemned the secrecy that has shrouded a possible shirt sponsorship deal with Chinese authorities to advertise the 2008 Beijing Olympics and accused Laporta of distancing himself from the club's fans. "It's incredible that within the same board there are some members who can't tell you things because of a confidentiality clause," he said. "Joan (Laporta), you should not forget the club members. They are the ones that elected you and Barcelona should always be run democratically." Speaking after an emergency board meeting later in the day Laporta said the resignations had brought an end to the crisis. "My conscience is clear," he said. "I accept and respect the resignations although I have to say it has been a sad day for me. I've done all I could to avoid this situation." The 42-year-old lawyer went on to defend his administration of the club. "The problems were focused on these four people who disagreed with us over the kind of club (we want) and our sporting project. We have to work as a team and forget individual personalities." Laporta was elected club president in 2003 after saying he would sign David Beckham from Manchester United but the England captain chose Real Madrid instead. Barcelona responded by buying Brazil's World Cup winner Ronaldinho from Paris St Germain. Rosell's disagreements with Laporta were similar to those expressed by Bartomeu when he gave his reasons for resigning. "The board has lost its original spirit and its transparency," he told a news conference. "There is no longer any confidence and there has been a growth of suspicion," he said. "We are no longer the same united group and that saddens me."
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