Joan Laporta keen to take Pep Guardiola back to Barcelona if elected president

Barcelona won 14 trophies during Guardiola's reign before his exit in 2012

Lionel Messi with the ball during a training session at Joan Gamper sports city in Barca returned to training after 56 days in lockdown, All pictures AFP/FC Barcelona

Barcelona's Spanish coach Quique Setien wearing a face mask as he takes training

Spanish defender Junior Firpo gives a thumbs-up during the training session at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper in Sant Joan Despi

Spanish defender Jordi Alba

German goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen

Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal

French defender Samuel Umtiti

Spanish defender Sergi Roberto

Barcelona's Gerard Pique runs with the ball

Barcelona's head coach Quique Setien

Luis Suarez on the run

Leo Messi at the training session

Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong

Barca defender Gerard Pique

Barcelona's French forward Antoine Griezmann

Joan Laporta has said he is considering a run for the Barcelona presidency in 2021 and will attempt to take Pep Guardiola back to the club if he is elected.

Laporta was Barcelona president from 2003 to 2010 and was at the helm when Guardiola was promoted from the youth team to manager of the senior team in 2008.

Barcelona won 14 trophies - including three league titles and the Champions League twice - during Guardiola's reign before his exit in 2012.

Guardiola is under contract at Manchester City until June 2021 but his future is in doubt after UEFA handed the club a two-year ban from European competition for breaching Financial Fair Play rules, a ruling City have appealed.

"I'm working to introduce myself as a presidential candidate. I've been president before and I'm excited to be back," Laporta was quoted as saying on Catalan station TV3.

"I would very much like Guardiola to come back, but now he is at City and it is a decision that Pep should take. He is a benchmark for Barcelona and many Catalans would like him to coach Barca again.

"At the right time, I will speak to the person we think should be a Barca coach from 2021."

Spanish football is currently suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but players have returned to individual training this week after the relaxing of lockdown measures in Spain.

As well as dealing with the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Barcelona have also had to contend with instability in the boardroom after six executives resigned over protest of the running of the club.