Joan Laporta sets up promotional banner near Real Madrid's Bernabeu

Barcelona presidential hopeful Joan Laporta appears to have reignited the club's rivalry with Real Madrid by setting up an enormous electoral poster just 200 metres away from the Santiago Bernabeu.

The banner was put up in the Spanish capital on Tuesday morning with the face of the former Barcelona president on it, with the 58-year-old in the running for the post following the resignation of Josep Bartomeu in October.

The slogan on the poster - situated on the Paseo de La Habana - reads: 'Looking forward to seeing you again', a clear message to the fans of LaLiga champions Real given its proximity to their home stadium, which is currently undergoing a £500million renovation.

Madrid have been playing their home games at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano in the meantime, with the development at the Bernabeu set to be completed in October 2022.

There is just more than a month remaining until the fresh set of elections at Barcelona take place on January 24, with Laporta and fellow candidate Victor Font the current favourites for the vacancy according to recent polls.

Laporta - who served as Barcelona president between 2003 and 2010 - has also never avoided controversial topics, having also served as an MP in Catalonia's Parliament between 2010 and 2012, while stating last month that the Spanish national time should not play home matches at the Blaugrana’s Camp Nou stadium.

'Luis Rubiales, president of the RFEF, is an intelligent person who knows that the best thing for the national team is to play where they have more support, such as Seville, Valencia , Madrid…and perhaps here is not the most appropriate place,' Laporta was quoted as saying by MARCA.

'For the Spanish team not to play at the Camp Nou is the best decision because the situation does not meet the most positive conditions for them to do so.'

The winner of the presidential elections next month faces a number of challenges, including trying to tempt Lionel Messi to stay at the club following his failed attempt to seek a move away from Camp Nou in the summer.

But speaking last week, Laporta insisted the Argentine star deserves a new contract and will use his imagination to come up with an offer to keep the 33-year-old at the club.

'You could argue many reasons for him staying. I prefer to think about what Leo generates, which is a lot – certainly more than his salary may cost,' Laporta told Sport. 'I'm not just talking about the sporting level, which is already well known.

'I consider him the best footballer in history. Leo is so much more than just that. In my opinion all players, when they win many titles and generate so much for the club, deserve to be valued accordingly.

'At least that's how I'll try to make it happen. Leo is, I repeat, the best player in the world and possibly in the history of football. What you have to keep in mind is that he loves Barca and has shown that repeatedly.

'He is a club man and is comfortable at Barcelona and in the city. That is another factor that leads us to think the best thing for us is for the Messi-Barcelona relationship to continue.

'You have to be imaginative [to get him to stay]. Knowing Messi is not guided by money, and I assure you that is the case, we must make a proposal that can convince him Barca has a team capable of winning the Champions League.

'That is essential. It is what will be more valuable to Leo when deciding his future at the end of the season. I am convinced of that.

'Leo and I have a relationship of mutual affection. He knows that whenever I have made him a proposal, it has been fulfilled. Leo knows it and has told me personally he valued that very much. He should finish his career at Barca.'