Seven weeks after Lionel Messi was forced to stay and three days after Barcelona suffered another defeat against bitter rivals Real Madrid in El Clasico, Josep Maria Bartomeu has finally gone. 

The 57-year-old Spaniard, arguably the most disliked president in Barca history, announced his resignation on Tuesday night, dragging down his entire board of directors with him.  

"It's a composed and relaxed decision, agreed with all my fellow directors," Bartomeu, who took over at Barcelona from Sandro Rosell in 2014, said in a televised speech. 

The move means he will avoid the vote of no confidence brought against him by club members. And according to multiple Spanish media outlets, the decision to resign was reached after the Catalan government refused to postpone the no-confidence motion until mid-November as the board had proposed. 

More than 20,000 club members signed a motion to remove him, but Bartomeu insisted that he could not have resigned earlier due to the task on hand. 

"The easiest thing after the Champions (League defeat) was to resign, but one had to take decisions amid an unprecedented global crisis," he said. "Who would have ensured that Messi stayed? Who would have hired a new coach?" 

Then, Bartomeu dropped another bombshell by revealing that his final actions as president was to ratify Barcelona's participation in a "European Super League."

"I can announce some extraordinary news," he beamed. "Yesterday at the board meeting I approved the requirements for us to be part of a European Super League, which would guarantee the future financial sustainability of the club." 

The European Super League is a new project underwritten by Wall Street bank JP Morgan, with more than a dozen teams from England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain in negotiations about becoming founder members of the competition. 

BBC said it would see 18 sides compete in a single league with the top sides taking part in a play-off to determine an overall winner. Up till now, Barcelona was the first major club to confirm their involvement. 

Bartomeu and Barca's latest bold action immediately incurred the wrath of La Liga president Javier Tebas.  

"Unfortunate Bartomeu statement on his last day about Barcelona joining a weak and imaginary competition which would be their ruin," he wrote on Twitter. "It confirms his ignorance about the football industry. Sad end for a president with successes and lately many mistakes."

European football's governing body UEFA has already publicly opposed the project. "We have made it clear on many occasions that UEFA strongly opposes a Super League," read a statement.  

"The principles of solidarity, of promotion, relegation and open leagues are non-negotiable. It is what makes European football work and the Champions League the best sports competition in the world," it added. 

Amid all the chaos and controversy, Barcelona still remain a mess. Earlier this month, the Spanish giants announced losses of 97 million euro ($114m) for the 2019-20 economic year, , with debt more than doubling to 488 million euros ($574m). 

Bartomeu's departure won't do much to improve their current situation. But at least, it represents a new start. 

Bartomeu's own trouble won't end with his resignation either. The Guardian claimed that his board may face civil action holding them personally liable for the budgetary shortfall over the period of his administration since 2014. 

Meanwhile, Ronald Koeman, the coach appointed by Bartomeu, might be ruthelessly ditched by the new president after the election. 

There could be more drama ahead.