Barcelona Delays Presidential Elections Because Of Pandemic

Barcelona announced on Friday that the club's presidential elections have been postponed after a rise in coronavirus cases prompted heavy restrictions in the region. The elections were set for January 24 but the Catalonian government told the club on Friday morning that exceptions to the rules would not be made to allow people to vote. The delay means Barcelona will not have a new regime in charge for the last week of the January transfer window while Lionel Messi's future is set to remain unresolved for a while longer.

Messi's contract expires at the end of June, when he could leave the club for free, having failed in an attempt to secure an exit last summer.

A new date has not been set for the elections but the club said in a statement it would ask the Catalonian government to allow people to vote by post.