- Title: SOCCER-SPAIN/BARCELONA Barcelona club members vote for future president
- Date: 18th July 2015
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (JULY 18, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF FC BARCELONA VOTING AREA IN CAMP NOU CHILD WEARING BARCA SHIRT, ON MAN'S SHOULDERS TILT UP OF FC BARCELONA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE JOSEP MARIA BARTOMEU VOTING MORE OF BARTOMEU VOTING CLUB MEMBERS ARRIVING TO VOTE FC BARCELONA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE JOAN LAPORTA VOTING SOUNDBITE (C
- Embargoed: 2nd August 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Spain
- Country: Spain
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAEVBUYHFU4R7GJ997N147TXJYO
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: FC Barcelona's incumbent president Josep Maria Bartomeu cast his ballot in a tight battle on Saturday (July 18) to elect the club's next president.
Barcelona famously is owned and run by its members who get to vote to determine the club's future.
Bartomeu faces stiff competition from fellow frontrunner Joan Laporta, who also voted early on Saturday in Camp Nou.
The club's 109,367 members have been summoned to cast their vote in a 3500 square metre voting area set up for the occasion, where 136 ballot tables are arranged under two huge blue and red voting tents.
Thousand of voters turned out, despite the scorching Barcelona heat.
Two other candidates, Toni Freixa and Agusti Benedito, also feature on the ballot paper.
"I have a very good feeling about today," said Laporta who could not resist a joke about Barcelona's triple titles last season.
"I left the house happy, I fell asleep happy, and I hope, at the end of the day, to be treble times happy," he said. "The people (showed) a lot of affection, a lot of admiration. And I see them very keen for me to win the elections. So the feelings are good."
Despite Barcelona's treble last season, Bartomeu faces a tough challenge to remain as president in Saturday's elections after criticism of his leadership.
Victory in the Champions League against Juventus last month capped a memorable season for the Catalan club, who also won La Liga and the King's Cup.
Bartomeu is stained by the dealings that took place over the transfer of Brazilian Neymar to Barca in 2013, which have embroiled the club in court proceedings.
Bartomeu replaced Sandro Rosell, who stood down over the Neymar scandal, last year and admitted that Neymar's true cost was closer to 100 million euros ($108.9 million) rather than the 57.1 million euros ($62.1 million) previously claimed.
Further problems including a FIFA transfer ban for breaching rules regarding the signing of under-age players, Barca's stuttering league form and a bust-up between coach Luis Enrique and Lionel Messi which prompted Bartomeu, in January, to bring forward elections by a year.
Buoyed by Barca's spectacular end to the season, many fans are now happy to maintain the status quo.
"Things went well, best not to change anything. Because the others don't inspire enough trust to deserve the vote," said 34-year old Barca club member Marc Pardo.
Similarly, fellow member Neli Monterde considers Bartomeu to be the "lesser evil".
But others are swayed by Laporta, president from 2003 until 2010, who oversaw the building of Barca's most successful side ever.
"Joan Laporta, because I would like the club to continue to be (owned) by its members, not be privatized and even less by Qatar," said Maria Jose Alemany.
Voting ends at 21:00 local time (20:00GMT) and counting will begin immediately afterwards.
Results are expected before midnight (23:00GMT). - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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