A group of angry Barcelona fans protesting at the impending exit of Lionel Messi were seen charging onto the grounds of the Nou Camp on Wednesday, reportedly in search of beleaguered club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Members of the Barcelona faithful have been venting their fury for the second night in a row outside the club’s Nou Camp home after the bombshell news on Tuesday that Messi had formally signaled his intention to leave this summer.
Fans have demanded the resignation of under-fire president Bartomeu, an already-unpopular figure who is seen as the key protagonist behind Messi’s decision to quit the club he has been at since the age of 13.
Footage from the Nou Camp on Wednesday appeared to show a group of fans taking advantage of a gap in security to stream into the grounds around the iconic stadium.
According to reporter David Ibanez, the fans were in search of Bartomeu, although order was quickly restored by the police. Other reports stated that the Barcelona boss had in any case already left the stadium earlier in the day.
“President Bartomeu has not been in the offices all afternoon. The managers and the president left the club at lunchtime,” wrote local reporter Alfredo Martinez.
Nonetheless, the scenes illustrate the explosive atmosphere at the club as fans face up to the increasingly likely loss of Messi, widely considered Barcelona’s greatest ever player.