Argentine sports club Newell’s Old Boys, one of the two biggest clubs in the city of Rosario, announced on Wednesday that they are calling for early elections after fans overran the club headquarters on Tuesday.

Newell’s, affectionately known as La Lepra (The Leprosy), is one of the most important clubs in Argentine football. Lionel Messi’s first club, it has won the Argentine Primera División six times. 

The club is immersed in a sporting and social crisis. After being stuck in the middle of the standings for a long time, the team started the 2025 season in terrible fashion, losing six of seven games, including the city derby against Rosario Central.

Hundreds of fans marched on the Marcelo Bielsa stadium to demand the resignation of President Ignacio Astore on Tuesday. They have been camping inside the stadium grounds, determined not to leave until Astore steps down. The Herald was able to confirm that although protests were largely peaceful, police were seen shooting rubber bullets at fans in other parts of the compound.

That same day, Vice President Federico Ripani announced his resignation, citing differences with Astore on the election’s schedule.

In the statement, released in the late hours of Wednesday, the club announced the start of a new election process, and asked the fans to allow activities to resume.

“We find ourselves in difficult times for those who love this institution,” read the statement. “Recent results haven’t been what we expected and we understand the discontent and protests carried out by the fans.”

The statement went on to add that “recovery starts with internal calm” and  “respect for institutional democratic instances” that allow the changes the fans demand. It communicated the board’s decision to call elections, a process they expect will take at least 90 days, as well as an extraordinary club assembly, estimated to take place on March 26.