Josep Bartomeu elected president of FC Barcelona

Josep Maria Bartomeu has won Barcelona's presidential election and will return to his seat at the head of the club.

A total of 47,720 votes were cast throughout Saturday, representing 43.12 percent of all club members, and with the polls now closed and the numbers tallied, Bartomeu has claimed the presidency with 54.63 percent of the vote. The result was tough to call, as his challenger, Joan Laporta, was the favourite going into the elections, but Bartomeu had the faith of enough Barcelona members to keep his spot as president.

Barcelona is a club owned not by a single owner but by paid members, called socios, who each get a vote during elections. With elections well underway at the Nou Camp, nearly 50,000 members cast their ballots for the presidency.

(Courtesy: Barcelona)

"All the candidates have a chance in this election so let’s see what the members decide," Bartomeu told Barcelona's official website earlier in the day. "We have felt we have the supporters on our side throughout the campaign and a lot of them have said that they’ll vote for us."

Bartomeu returns to the presidency, a position he took over when former president, Sandro Rosell, stepped down during investigations for alleged misappropriations of funds during negotiations for Brazilian striker Neymar. Bartomeu, himself, was indicted for tax fraud back in March. Under Bartomeu, Barcelona was also charged with illegally signing minors, which earned the club a one-year transfer ban.

But, in keeping with the laws of the club's structure, Bartomeu made sure to call an election when prompted, and says he sees a bright future for the club.

"These are the Barça elections that we have been promising since January. Barça needed this start a new six-year cycle with some very important issues for the club. And Barça must continue to grow. We have to make sure that we carry on as the number one club."

Under Bartomeu, Barcelona still managed to thrive, with the trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez notching a historic high of 122 goals, a record for any trio in footballing history. Barcelona also won the treble in 2014-15 for their efforts.

"We have a team that can govern the club for the next six years," he said. "I am not alone. It is not the first time that I have formed part of a team."

Bartomeu's first order of business is to address the status of Turkish winger Arda Turan, who reportedly has a clause in his contract that could see the deal turned around by July 20. His challenger, Laporta, was openly critical of the timing of the move but with Bartomeu back in the president's seat, Turan's deal will most likely be finalized completely.