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.

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.