Barcelona Vice President Joan Franquesa Resigns

Barcelona vice president Joan Franquesa i Cabanas has left his position just days before a board meeting was due to be convened.

Franquesa has sent a letter to Joan Laporta, informing the Blaugrana president of his resignation. It is believed that Franquesa had learned of the details of a board meeting due to be held in Perpignan on Friday and has taken pre-emptive action.

Laporta is thought to be planning a restructuring of the board, which would have affected Franquesa if he had not resigned.

Barcelona have since published the letter on their official website, which reveals that Franquesa left the position for "personal reasons".

"I am unable to continue devoting the time to the club that I believe a director of FC Barcelona should," Franquesa  wrote. "Changes in my personal and professional circumstances require my complete attention now.

"I appreciate that you have tried to look for ways in which I can continue at the club in recent days. Now my priorities are my family, which has recently grown, and the business.

"I am aware that my resignation could be used and misinterpreted. As a result, I want to reiterate that I fully share in the [management] model that has been used since 2003 [when Laporta became president]."

Franquesa had been in the news recently, as sources revealed that he was one of the directors who had allegedly been spied on by the club towards the end of last season.

Anthony Wright, Goal.com