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Ex-Barcelona president Joan Laporta won't rule out return to board

A day after a Spanish judge found him not guilty of charges he left Barcelona saddled with debt, the Catalan club's former president Joan Laporta said he would not rule out running for his old job in forthcoming elections.

Judge Jose Manuel Martinez Borreguero ruled that neither Laporta nor 16 of his fellow former directors would have to pay the 47.6 million euros sought by the Blaugrana for losses generated when the club was under his control.

The current Barca board, led initially by Sandro Rosell and then Josep Maria Bartomeu, had alleged that Laporta had altered the club's accounts in the final year of his mandate in order to convert a 79.6 million-euro loss into an 11.1 million-euro profit.

According to Rosell, the net result of the Laporta era was a loss of 47.6 million euros, and he took action to pursue his predecessor for the money after consulting club members.

On Thursday, Laporta hit out at the current board over its business decisions, saying he would consider a return now his name had been cleared.

"I haven't really thought about running in the next elections yet. This ruling was for my honour, my credibility, but I really haven't evaluated," he told a news conference on Thursday.

"My position is that they [Barcelona board] tell the truth. If they do that, it will be magnificent. The situation has been brought to life by this verdict.

"Based on what those currently responsible [at Barcelona] have done and are doing, I wouldn't rule out running in the next election."

Laporta accused his successors of doctoring the club's finances, saying: "They want to make it look like the club is impoverished to justify having the Qatar logo on the kit.

"This verdict closes the circle of a positive gesture in the socio-economic and sports realms. We made good decisions for the club. This [legal action] was borne of resentment.

"I have no expectations. What kind of expectations could you have for a board that wants to make bad decisions for the club?"

Bartomeu, who took over when Rosell resigned in the wake of the Neymar signing controversy -- has 20 days to make an appeal against the decision in favour of Laporta.

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