Joan Laporta has resigned as president of Barcelona to launch a bid for re-election, setting a 35-day countdown to elections scheduled for March 15, the club announced on Monday.

Laporta, who first took office in March 2021 after winning 54% of the vote, steps down after nearly five years in charge, in accordance with club statutes. Vice President Rafa Yuste will serve as interim president for the next three and a half months.

The lawyer-turned-club-president aims to reclaim the role and return to office on July 1. He is widely regarded as the favourite, facing long-time rival Victor Font. Former executive Xavier Vilajoana and economist Marc Ciria, making his first run in a Barcelona election, have also confirmed their candidacies.

Around 100,000 Barcelona members of legal age with at least one year of membership are eligible to vote. The club confirmed that voting will take place across multiple venues to encourage turnout, including the Camp Nou and three Catalan provincial capitals—Girona, Tarragona, and Lleida—as well as Andorra la Vella.

Postal voting will not be permitted, despite requests from opposition candidates. Barcelona noted that postal ballots were only allowed in the 2021 election due to the Covid-19 pandemic, when more than 20,000 of 55,000 members voted by post.

Laporta’s latest spell at the helm has coincided with a turbulent and transformative period for the club. His tenure began with Lionel Messi’s departure to Paris Saint-Germain and has overseen Barcelona defending their LaLiga and Copa del Rey titles while seeking to re-establish themselves in Europe after reaching last season’s Champions League semi-finals.

The current squad features 18-year-old Lamine Yamal, a La Masia product whose rapid rise Laporta has observed closely.

Off the pitch, Barcelona returned to the Camp Nou in November after two and a half years of renovations. While capacity remains limited and work continues behind schedule, the move back has injected renewed optimism around the team, led by German coach Hansi Flick, whose attacking style has won over supporters.