Barcelona members elected Joan Laporta as club president on Sunday, turning to the man who oversaw one of their most successful periods to lead them out of an institutional and financial crisis.

Laporta, who was Barca president between 2003 and 2010, won a resounding 54.28 per cent of total votes, while Victor Font came second with 29.99 per cent and Toni Freixa was third with 8.58 per cent.

Laporta, 58, succeeds Josep Maria Bartomeu, who resigned as president in October to avoid facing a no-trust vote from members who turned on him after Lionel Messi tried to leave the club last August and the team were beaten 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Messi was among several Barca players to vote in the election a day after winning 2-0 at Osasuna to go second in La Liga.

Laporta’s first spell as president coincided with Messi’s rise from the youth ranks to global superstar, while he was also in charge when Pep Guardiola was promoted to the top job in 2008.