Joan Laporta: Joan Laporta elected Barcelona president, sends message to Lionel Messi | Football News

BARCELONA: Barcelona members elected Joan Laporta as membership president on Sunday, turning to the person who oversaw considered one of their most profitable durations to guide them out of an institutional and monetary disaster.
Laporta, who was Barca president between 2003 and 2010, received a powerful 54.28% of whole votes, whereas Victor Font got here second with 29.99% and Toni Freixa was third with 8.58%.
Laporta, 58, succeeds Josep Maria Bartomeu, who resigned as president in October to keep away from going through a vote of no confidence from members who turned on him after Lionel Messi tried to go away the membership final August and the crew had been overwhelmed 8-2 by Bayern Munich within the Champions League.

Messi was amongst a number of Barca gamers to vote within the election a day after profitable 2-0 at Osasuna to go second in La Liga.
Barca mentioned 51,765 out of 109,531 eligible members had voted within the election, which was postponed from January resulting from coronavirus restrictions in Catalonia. A complete of 30,184 folks voted for Laporta.
Laporta celebrated his victory by singing the membership’s anthem together with his marketing campaign crew and sipping champagne earlier than giving his victory speech, wherein he gave a particular point out to captain and all-time high scorer Messi, who has lower than 4 months left on his contract with Barca.

“Twenty years in the past a bit boy referred to as Leo Messi made his debut with Barca’s youth crew. Seeing the very best participant on the earth come out to vote at present is a transparent signal of what we hold saying. Leo loves Barca,” Laporta mentioned.
“One of the best participant on the earth loves Barca and I hope that could be a signal that he’ll keep at Barcelona, which is what all of us need.”
HUGE FINANCIAL PROBLEMS
Laporta takes over a membership with big monetary issues as a result of COVID-19 pandemic eliminating ticket income and badly hitting merchandising revenue.
Barca’s final accounts confirmed a gross debt of greater than 1.4 billion euros ($1.67 billion) with a internet debt of 488 million euros. The membership agreed a brief participant pay-cut final yr whereas it needed to delay funds to gamers in December.

But issues are wanting up on the pitch, with Ronald Koeman’s aspect profitable 13 of their final 16 league video games and reaching the Copa del Rey remaining.
Laporta’s first match in his second spell as president is Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 second leg away to Paris St Germain, with Barca trailing 4-1 within the tie.
He added: “We’re off to Paris to stage a comeback.”

Laporta was first elected in 2003 and presided over a golden interval within the membership’s historical past which witnessed 4 La Liga titles and two Champions League triumphs.
He ran within the 2015 elections however was emphatically overwhelmed by incumbent Bartomeu.
Bartomeu was arrested final Monday in a Catalan police probe associated to allegations of improper administration and enterprise corruption which additionally noticed the membership’s Camp Nou places of work raided. He has not commented on his arrest and made use of his proper to not give an announcement in court docket.