Vice-president resigns amid Barcelona turmoil

Barcelona president Joan Gaspart suffered another setback in his attempt to unite the Catalan club when vice-president Gabriel Masfurroll resigned on Tuesday.

Masfurroll had been a high-profile member of the board since Gaspart's election as president in July 2000 and had occupied the post of club spokesman for some of that time.

"My disagreement with the way the club is being run has prevented me from continuing in my post," Masfurroll said in a statement to the press.

His resignation comes at a delicate time for Gaspart who, together with coach Louis van Gaal, has come under intense pressure as a result of the team's dismal form in the league.

Barcelona dropped into 13th place in the table and a distant 16 points behind leaders Real Sociedad after their 3-0 capitulation at home to Sevilla on Sunday, their fourth defeat in five matches.

Masfurroll is the fourth vice-president to resign during Gaspart's presidency.

The club said he will be replaced by Enric Reyna, who is already on the board of the club.

The president is voted for in an election where the more than 100,000 members of the club are entitled to vote, although only around 45,000 took part in the 2000 poll.