Laporta to continue at Barca despite vote defeat

Barcelona president Joan Laporta lost a confidence vote in his administration by club members on Sunday, but just avoided being forced to call a presidential election.

Club member Oriol Giralt's motion criticising Laporta's management won 23,870 votes, 60.60 per cent of the 37,294 cast. There were 14,871 votes, 37.75 per cent, in favour of the current administration.

Giralt fell just short of winning the 66 per cent of votes needed to force the board out.

"The board should examine this result closely because it sends a clear message. If I were president I would resign," Giralt told a news conference.

Laporta said he would see out his term in office until 2010.

"The motion hasn't succeeded," he said. "We understand this is a punishment for the last two years and will work to correct things and to restore the institutional stability needed at this club."

Giralt's hand had been strengthened when Laporta's former aide Sandro Rosell had said he would stand if the motion was successful.