The organization, which has not won anything since April 2019, hopes to be able to turn the page in several tumultuous months.
While the daily life of the illustrious Catalan club is punctuated by searches and arrests such as last week, internal scandals and sports disappointment, the return of Joan Laporta to the top, who was already president of the club between 2003 and 2010, is synonymous with the return of stability.
Laporta, the favorite, announced that the ballot was crushed with 54.28% of the vote, ahead of other candidates Victor Font (29.99%) and Tony Frixa (8.58%), according to official Barcelona numbers.
Laporta celebrated the results with enthusiasm, who sang the Barcelona anthem and jumped into the arms of his relatives, all smiling, before he opened the champagne. He also received congratulations from Font and Freixa.
If he remained for many supporters who started an era Great Barcelona
With Guardiola, Xavi, Iniesta and Messi in his pocket, 12 titles in his pocket, Laporta finds himself faced with a massive rebuilding project.
The first hot file related to Messi’s future. The 33-year-old Argentine, who wanted to sail last summer, before changing his mind, has not decided anything yet … but he is officially free to negotiate his departure to another club since January 1st.
Messi came with his son Thiago to vote in the ballot box on Sunday morning. This is a great precedent for the Argentine legend, who has never spoken before in a presidential election for her club.
Exactly 20 years ago, Messi started with Barcelona youth. And that he came to vote today means that Leo loves Barcelona. From all of that, we’ll convince him to stay. Applause for Messi!
The second project will be economical. With more than 1 billion euros in long-term debt and 730.6 million euros to be found by the end of June, Laporta will have to negotiate in stages with creditors and discuss with the dressing room for a possible wage cut.
Other files accumulate. The renovation of the Camp Nou stadium, which was due to be launched in 2017 but has barely begun, has been delayed, or the sporting crisis and the blatant lack of results.
A strong vote of confidence in the ballot
Laporta starts his new term with a very strong support base.
This election generated a strong mobilization, with 55,611 votes out of 110,290 in favor – contributing voting age (participation rate of 50.42%), a few hundred votes above the record dating back to the 2010 presidential election (57,888 votes were recorded).
The high turnout surprised me, given the difficulty of moving between provinces
Carles Tusquets, chair of the transitional administration committee responsible for organizing the elections, has been postponed from January to March due to the pandemic.
It wasn’t easy to organize it, but we’re happy with the way it went.
Players from the first team (Sergio Busquets, Riqui Puig) and club legends (Eric Abidal, Carles Puyol, Luis Enrique) also voted, as did former President Josep Maria Bartomeu, who was arrested, heard justice, and was released between Monday and Tuesday In case Barchagate
, An alleged slanderous campaign targeting club personalities.
Natalie Sinclair is a contributor at Vaughantoday.ca, covering a wide range of topics including local news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, accurate reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and issues that matter to their communities. Her work highlights timely developments, relevant stories, and practical insights in a professional and reader-friendly manner.