Joan Laporta was reelected president of FC Barcelona for another five years after winning a vote of the club's members, with his only opponent, Víctor Font, conceding before the final count was announced.
Barcelona said Laporta received 68% of the vote. More than 48,000 of Barça's 114,000 members cast ballots at Camp Nou Stadium and four other voting stations across Catalonia and Andorra.
Font congratulated Laporta for what he called an unquestionable victory. Laporta later addressed supporters inside an auditorium at Camp Nou, standing with members of his incoming board.
“Thanks to this marvelous club, where its fans still vote to decide who will be their president and executive board,” Laporta said.
Laporta, 63, previously led Barça from 2003-10, a period tied to Pep Guardiola's coaching peak and the rise of Lionel Messi. He returned to the presidency in 2021, when Barcelona was dealing with a severe financial crisis after heavy spending under Josep Bartomeu and the impact of COVID-19.
His response included allowing Messi to leave for Paris Saint-Germain and selling club assets, including 25% of Barcelona's Spanish league television rights for the next 25 years. The club's debt has still risen under Laporta, from 1.3 billion euros to more than 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion).
Font's campaign argued that Laporta had damaged the club's future, while Laporta told members he had kept Barça from collapse and needed another term to complete the recovery. His case was helped by the men's team's form under Hansi Flick and the emergence of Lamine Yamal.
Laporta has defended his financial record by pointing to reduced spending on player wages and higher revenues. Part of the debt increase is linked to the renovation of Camp Nou, Europe's largest soccer stadium, which the club expects to raise revenue once complete.
Flick and several players from Barcelona's men's and women's soccer teams, along with athletes from the club's other sports sections including basketball and handball, voted at Camp Nou. Barcelona's men's team also beat Sevilla 5-2 to retain its lead in the Spanish league.