Pep Guardiola back as Barcelona manager, Lionel Messi stays, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Carles Puyol return… presidential frontrunner outlines bold aims for club

Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font has revealed he wants to bring Pep Guardiola back to the club.

Font is the favourite to succeed Josep Maria Bartomeu after he tendered his resignation, along with the entire board of directors, earlier this week.

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That followed months of intense criticism on Barcelona's ailing finances and struggles on the pitch.

Bartomeu never recovered from Barcelona's 8-2 Champions League quarter-final humbling at the hands of eventual tournament winners Bayern Munich.

He was due to step aside in March having served the maximum two terms as president, but exited early after more than 20,000 club members signed a motion to remove him from the job.

Font has a clear and bold plan to restore the glory days at the Catalan giants - starting with a move to lure old boss Guardiola back to the club.

He also wants to hand roles to Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Carles Puyol as he looks to create a new dynasty that will convince Lionel Messi to see out his remaining days at the club.

Messi handed in a transfer request in the summer and was heavily linked with a reunion with Guardiola at Man City, but Font has no doubt he will stay if he takes the presidency.

"Most of the best professionals who know about this style are also fans and love the club, like Pep Guardiola, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol," Font told Sky Sports News.

"They are all legends that love Barcelona but do not work for Barca today - we need to bring them back to ensure we will have a very competitive project.

"The only thing Messi needs is to know he is part of a competitive project that aspires to win the next Champions League.

"We have no doubt that if we basically have the honour to take the helm of FC Barcelona we will be able to achieve that (Messi staying)."

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Guardiola is a legendary figure at the Camp Nou, having starred as a player before doing the same as manager.

He won 14 major trophies during his time in the hotseat from 2008 to 2012, including three La Liga titles and the Champions League twice.

The Spaniard is currently into his fifth season as Manchester City boss but his contract expires at the end of the summer, and there are doubts over whether he will extend his stay.

Ronald Koeman only took charge of Barcelona in the summer, replacing Quique Setien, but Font's ambitious plans do not seem to include the Dutchman.

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"Replacing the best generation the world of football has ever seen, which I believe we have had over the last decade, is a big challenge," said Font.

"Particularly at a time when competition is intense and many clubs are owned by very powerful owners.

"FC Barcelona also need a significant investment to rebuild the stadium and all in a world which has been hit with one of the worst crises ever (coronavirus).

"It is clear we need a very solid plan to meet these challenges and this is what we have been doing over the last few years.

"It is our intention to build a very strong and competitive project and we are very lucky at Barca that we inherited a style of play that Johan Cruyff instilled throughout the organisation."

Ronald Koeman sacked, Xavi or Pep Guardiola replace him as manager, and Lionel Messi’s future – What happens at Barcelona after Josep Maria Bartomeu’s resignation?