BARCELONA, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Joan Laporta has resigned as president of Barcelona in order to seek re-election, launching a 35-day countdown to elections set for March 15, the club said on Monday.
Laporta, who took office in March, 2021 after winning 54% of the vote, steps down after nearly five years in charge in line with club statutes. Vice President Rafa Yuste will act as president for the next three and a half months.
Lawyer Laporta is aiming to reclaim the role at the ballot box and return to office on July 1. He is widely viewed as the favourite against long-time rival Victor Font.
Former club executive Xavier Vilajoana and economist Marc Ciria, making his first run in a Barcelona election, have also confirmed their intention to stand as candidates.
Around 100,000 Barcelona members of legal age with at least one year of membership are eligible to vote.
Barcelona confirmed the election will again be held across multiple venues, a decision designed to increase the turnout. Polling stations will be located at the club's facilities, in the three other Catalan provincial capitals of Girona, Tarragona and Lleida, and in Andorra la Vella.
The club said postal voting will not be permitted, despite requests from opposition candidates. "This was implemented on an exceptional basis in the 2021 elections due to the Covid-19 pandemic," Barcelona said in a statement.
More than 20,000 of the 55,000 members who voted in the 2021 election did so by post.
Laporta's latest spell at the helm has spanned a turbulent and transformative period. It began with Lionel Messi's departure to Paris St Germain and has moved on to a team defending their LaLiga and Copa del Rey titles, while seeking to reassert themselves in Europe after reaching the Champions League semi-finals last year.
The squad now features 18-year-old Lamine Yamal, a product of La Masia whose rise Laporta has watched from the stands.
Off the pitch, Barcelona returned to the Camp Nou in November after two and a half years away for renovations. Capacity remains limited as work continues and is behind schedule, but the move back has fed a renewed sense of optimism around the team led by German coach Hansi Flick, whose attacking style has won over supporters.
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Ed Osmond)
