Joan Laporta is determined to continue as president of crisis club Barcelona - despite the resignation, on Thursday evening, of eight of his 17 directors, dpa reported.
The directors - Albert Vicens, Ferran Soriano, Marc Ingla, Evarist Murtra, Toni Rovira, Xavier Cambra, Claudia Vives Fierro and Josep Lluis Vilaseca - resigned in frustration at Laporta refusing to quit, despite his unpopularity.
The embattled Laporta has been under massive pressure to quit since a referendum on Sunday showed that 60.6 per cent of club members had lost confidence in him.
Vicens read out a collective statement from the eight directors at the beginning of a stormy board meeting on Thursday evening.
"We are resigned from our positions," the statement said, "because of discrepancies in the way of reacting to the results (of Sunday's referendum)."
"For us, Sunday's results demonstrate a majority discontent with this board of directors requiring a substantial change. This position is not shared by the president nor by the group of directors who have decided to continue."
Laporta - said early on Thursday that he saw "no reason for me to resign." He will now look towards his dwindling group of supporters for replacements for the eight departed directors - and try to see out his second term of office, which expires in 2010.
The eight dissidents will, presumably, join the opposition to Laporta in calling for new presidential elections immediately.
No less than 14 of Laporta's directors have resigned since the latter became president in 2003.
The first to quit - in protest at Laporta's alleged arrogance and dictatorial tendencies - in 2005, was vice-president Sandro Rosell.
Rosell, the man who brought Ronaldinho, Deco and many other stars to the club, is now the firm favourite to win the next presidential elections - whether they take place this year or whether Laporta manages to cling on until 2010.