Joan Laporta will once again preside over FC Barcelona for the next six years after winning by an absolute majority in the elections held this Sunday, in which 55,611 members voted, half of the census. According to the new Barça president, these have been "the most important elections in the club's history." His first words after being proclaimed winner were of gratitude to all the people who made the elections possible and he also asked for a strong round of applause for Víctor Font and Toni Freixa, whom he described as "great candidates and opponents."
Laporta's candidacy obtained 30,184 votes (54.28%), which makes him the second most voted president in history, ahead of Víctor Font (16,679 votes / 29.99%) and Toni Freixa (4,769 votes / 8.58%).
According to Laporta, a new era begins that will be led by a board "unashamedly Cruyffista" and whose main challenges will be to recover the club's sporting splendor and reputation and to make it economically sustainable again. The new president dedicated a good part of his speech to praising the figure of Leo Messi, who voted on Sunday at Camp Nou accompanied by his son. "That he came to vote today with his son is a sign that Leo loves Barça. The best player in the world loves Barça! We must encourage him to continue at Barça, it's what we all want," an energetic Laporta affirmed.
The new president touched the hearts of all culés by emphasizing that Barça "is a great family," a family "that will overcome all difficulties." He also promised the members that "they will continue to be owners of the club" and asked them one thing: "Don't just think about what Barça should do for you, think about what you can do for Barça. The best thing you can do now is to love it, to love it more than ever. Visca el Barça and visca Catalunya," concluded Laporta, who was accompanied by the members of his new board. All of them wore orange masks with the number 14, in homage to Cruyff.