MADRID, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona president, Joan Laporta has announced that he will stand for re-election to the post on March 15th.
The date of the election for the club presidency will coincide with FC Barcelona's La Liga game at home to Sevilla in the Camp Nou Stadium, with Barcelona's approximately 140,000 club members entitled to vote.
Laporta announced that the date was the "most appropriate on a sporting an institutional level," adding that he hoped for "a great participation" from members.
The news means Laporta will have to step down from his role on February 15th with the club managed by an electoral commission for the following month.
Laporta returned for his second spell as FC Barcelona president in 2021. His second mandate has had its problems. The opposition will point to issues such as the painful departure of Leo Messi after it became clear the club couldn't pay his wages due to financial fair play issues.
Another problem is the club's enormous debt, which is estimated to be between 2 and 2.5 billion euros.
Laporta will point to much of that debt being due to the mismanagement of his predecessor, Josep Maria Bartomeu, along with the expensive redevelopment of the Camp Nou Stadium, which has still not been fully completed.
In his favor, he can point to continued success on the pitch, especially since the arrival of Hansi Flick as coach, while the completion of the Camp Nou should open up new revenue streams in the future. ■
