PORT OF CALL
Barcelona elect Joan Laporta as new president for a second time in huge boost to keeping Lionel Messi
JOAN LAPORTA has been elected as Barcelona president for a second time - and hopes to keep Lionel Messi at the Nou Camp.
The 58-year-old, who enjoys a good relationship with Barca's star man, won the vote to see off rivals Victor Font and Toni Freixa and bag the top job.
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Laporta ramped up the pressure on his rivals by claiming superstar Messi is ready to pack his bags unless he was voted in.
The Argentine is out of contract in June and set to leave having grown disillusioned with life on and off the field.
Messi currently pockets a basic salary of around £500,000 a week at Barca, a deal that has become unsustainable with the club's finances crippled from the coronavirus pandemic.
But Laporta is confident he can convince the six-time Ballon d'Or winner to extend his contract beyond this summer and stay with the club.
Amid champagne celebrations, he said: "Seeing Lionel Messi coming to vote today, seeing him taking part, that is very telling.
"Twenty years ago [he] made his debut with Barca's youth team. Seeing the best player in the world come out to vote today is a clear sign of what we keep saying. Leo loves Barca.
"The best player in the world loves Barca and I hope that is a sign that he will stay at Barcelona, which is what we all want."
He added on RAC1: "I will be calling Lionel Messi.
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"Will I convince Leo to stay? It will depend on him, I will do what I can, within the economic possibilities of the club, to make him stay at Barca."
And the new president - who previously held the top position at the club between 2003 and 2010 - also called on his team to produce another memorable Champions League night against PSG this Wednesday.
Laporta shouted: "Now let's go to Paris and see if we can make another 'remontada' [comeback] happen!"
The LaLiga side tweeted out the final results, with Laporta amassing 54.28 per cent of the vote.
Font came home in second with 29.99 per cent, with Freixa on 8.58 per cent.
Footage showed the three candidates embracing at the vote, with Laporta congratulated by his beaten opponents.
Of the result, Freixa said: "I want to congratulate Laporta for this victory, which does not need further discussion.
"We must now support our president. High [voter] participation legitimises him."
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The claims that Sergio Aguero has been earmarked as a potential new signing by Laporta - and he hopes to pair him up with Messi in attack.
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City's all-time top scorer Aguero, 32, is out of contract in the summer and available for free.
And with talks over an extension yet to take place, the Argentinian has stated he will wait until the end of the season to decide his future.
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Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta slams PSG for Messi transfer pursuit
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