Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font has once again insisted club legend Xavi will return to the club if he is elected following January's election.
The 48-year-old and former president Joan Laporta are considered the favourites to win the election which takes place on January 24, with the winner earning a six-year term at the helm of the Camp Nou club.
And Font has insisted should he claim victory, he will ensure that former midfielder Xavi - currently boss of Qatari Al Sadd - returns to the club, and claimed if he failed to bring about the 40-year-old's return he would pay for all members' season tickets.
'Xavi will come to Barcelona if I win the election,' Font told Catalan outlet La Sotana.
'If he doesn't, I'll pay for every members' season ticket from my own pocket.'
Xavi left Barcelona for Al Sadd in 2015 after winning 25 titles with the former, and after four years as a player with the Qatari side became their boss last year.
This is not the first time Font has publicly endorsed Xavi's appointment as the next Barcelona boss, and recently indicated the 2010 World Cup winner could convince his former team-mate Lionel Messi to stay at the club.
Messi's attempts to leave last summer after handing in a transfer request were foiled by LaLiga and the Catalan giants, but Font stated he believes Xavi could help repair some of the recent damage for the Argentina star.
'The best person to convince Messi is Xavi,' Font told El Partidazo de Cope. 'He knows him well and Leo trusts Xavi's ability.
'He will have a place, and is very important in the process. Messi is irreplaceable.'
In separate quotes to Reuters, Font said in November: 'We decided some years ago the best person to help us build our organisation is Xavi.
'Ideally we can have Xavi as a general manager for many years like Alex Ferguson was at Manchester United.
'But if he needs to play a different role, he can be flexible. Few people have the leadership qualities he has.'
D10S_LM10
622
I want elections to be over soon so i can stop reading this kind of nonsense news.. Xavi is committed to current project till 2022. He is not coming Font.
Foubiopz
481
how life be at barce without mesi
Fewabdilor
91
No substance in all the Preidential candidates. They are only concerned with who will be signed. Barcelona has more problems than just players, corruption is a seed planted by the last administration, none is talking about it, development of the lower rungs like La Masia is not addressed, how the club can attract profitable projects is not discussed. All of them are going about as if we want to elect primary school prefect. The leading candidate even suggested he would demolish the present stadium to build a new from scratch and hear his argument on that : it is cheaper to build a new one than to renovate ! See and hear Barcelona Presidential logic. The man wants to chop Barcelona money, another Bartolomeu is coming. My advice to Messi, DO NOT STAY OTHERWISE YOU BECOME MORE FRUSTRATED. A word is enough for the wise.