Barcelona president Laporta set to step down

Laporta was forced to face a referendum over his presidency after a disgruntled club member collected enough support to force a vote.

Sixty percent of the vote went against Laporta which was just short of the 65 percent threshold which would have forced a new presidential election.

But the 46-year-old will now step down according to reports in the Spanish media.

His resignation and the appointment of number two Albert Vicens would avoid the need for a fresh election and also leave Laporta's long-term rival, Sandro Rosell, needing to wait until the next round of presidential elections in 2010 to challenge for power.

(Courtesy of sportbox.tv)