Barcelona Football Club

• Nickname:Barça
• Founded:1899
• Manager:Tito Vilanova

• Ground:Nou Camp
• Capacity:98600

Laporta ready to step down

08 Jul 2008 - 15:00:20

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Barcelona president Joan Laporta is reportedly set to step down despite narrowly surviving a recent vote of confidence.

Laporta was forced to face a referendum over his presidency after a disgruntled club member collected enough support to force a vote.

The increasingly unpopular president has come under fire after two trophyless seasons at the Camp Nou.

Sixty per cent of the vote went against Laporta which was just short of the 65 per cent threshold which would have forced a new presidential election.

But the 46-year-old will now step down according to reports in the Spanish media.

His resignation and the appointment of number two Albert Vicens would avoid the need for a fresh election and also leave Laporta's long-term rival, Sandro Rosell, needing to wait until the next round of presidential elections in 2010 to challenge for power.