A majority of Barcelona fans would like to see ex-club chief Joan Laporta return to the Camp Nou by winning the forthcoming presidential election, according to a local radio poll.
No date has yet been set for the election, which was called by current president Josep Maria Bartomeu in early January, in a bid to try and provide "stability" at the Catalan club which has been rocked by much institutional chaos over recent years.
Laporta was in charge at the Camp Nou between 2003 and 2010, a spell in which the team won four La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues. Despite many controversies both during his term and since, he remains associated in many minds with the fondly remembered team coached by Pep Guardiola.
Although the 53-year-old lawyer and former politician has yet to confirm he would run again for the post, 51 percent of those who answered a survey organised by Catalan radio show El Club de la Mitjanit said they would prefer to see Laporta return to the club.
Bartomeu, who appeared at a photocall alongside club legend Johan Cruyff this week, was favoured by 27 percent of respondents.
Augusto Benedito, who came second behind now disgraced Sandro Rosell in Barca's last presidential election in 2010, polled 13 percent of a poll which was limited to likely candidates, and therefore excluded fans favourites such as Guardiola or Cruyff.
Others likely to run in the election -- Barca's current institutional vice-president Carles Vilarrubi, Toni Freixa, who was sacked as club secretary by Bartomeu in late 2014, and emerging businessman Victor Font -- each took only 2-3 per cent of the votes.