Josep Maria Bartomeu Wins 2015 Barcelona Presidential Election

Josep Maria Bartomeu has been re-elected as Barcelona's club president after the result was announced late Saturday night.

Bartomeu defeated the competition of Toni Freixa, Agusti Benedito and former president Joan Laporta.

The club confirmed the results:

The elections had originally been called by Bartomeu back in January, as tensions grew around a number of matters concerning the team.

The Blaugrana's form had been unstable in 2014, with questions being asked of new coach Luis Enrique and superstar attacker Lionel Messi. 

But the pair dramatically revived the Camp Nou superclub's form on the pitch, with the team going on to lift a historic treble of the Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League titles. 

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

However, rumours suggested Messi favoured the return of Laporta to Barca, after becoming disillusioned with the current regime. 

Ben Hayward of Goal.com writes the Argentina captain had refused to publicly back any candidate since the announcement of the election, but the player had fallen out with the current board. 

Hayward reports Barca vice-president Javier Faus refuted the need to renew Messi's contract every season, leading the player to publicly retort: "Mr. Faus knows nothing about football."

David Ramos/Associated Press

Laporta had also claimed Messi would prefer it if he took the reins of the club once again, saying, per Hayward: "With me as president, Leo will be happier. He will know that during the difficult times, I will be there by his side. And that I would never think about selling him."

Barcelona is a hugely political animal, and the re-election of Bartomeu will cause much discussion in Spain. All four candidates were part of Laporta's successful team in 2003, but the fragmentation of power at the Camp Nou means friendships and alliances do not last.