Barcelona president Joan Laporta has announced that the club’s presidential elections will be held on March 15, with the 63-year-old hoping to secure re-election from the club’s members.

The date represents the earliest the vote can legally take place under Barcelona’s statutes. Laporta was first elected for a second term in March 2021 and is now approaching the end of his five-year mandate.

“Today, in a meeting of the board of directors, we agreed that on March 15 we will hold elections for the presidency of FC Barcelona,” Laporta said in a video posted on the club’s website. “We are certain these will be exemplary elections with high levels of participation.”

Laporta is expected to face Victor Font, who finished second in the previous elections with 30 percent of the vote compared to Laporta’s 54 percent, as well as candidates Xavier Vilajoana and Marc Ciria.

The Barcelona president goes into the vote with a strong record on the field, having overseen a domestic treble last season, a Spanish Super Cup victory over Real Madrid earlier this month, and the club’s progress to the Champions League semi-finals. These achievements make him the favourite for re-election.

However, Laporta’s 2021 campaign promise to retain all-time great Lionel Messi was unfulfilled due to the club’s financial struggles. His tenure has also seen the heavily delayed rebuild and partial reopening of Camp Nou, Barcelona’s iconic home stadium.