Laporta to helm Barca board. But can he turn the Messi ship around?

Joan Laporta has been emerged victorious from an election for President of FC Barcelona. The election saw team members join over 30,000 others to vote in the new helm of Barcelona’s board.

The 58-year-old held off competition from two of his closest rivals, Victor Font and Antoni Freixa. Laporta had previously held the reins as President of Barcelona between 2003 and 2010 and had always been the frontrunner to emerge victorious in Sunday’s election.

An exit poll conducted by Catalan television station TV3 projected Laporta to succeed with 58.3 per cent of the vote over Font (31.3) and Freixa (9.3). The final figures were not too far off, with Laporta claiming 54.28 per cent of the vote (30,184 votes). In total, there were 51,983 valid votes.  

Lionel Messi and fellow first-team stars Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba were among members to cast their vote to determine the successor to Josep Maria Bartomeu, who stepped down last October, days before a planned vote of no confidence against his board.  
Interim president Carlos Tusquets has had a difficult few months, with Messi, who publicly criticised Barca’s hierarchy under Bartomeu, still yet to decide on his future. Ronald Koeman’s team trail Atletico Madrid in LaLiga and are 4-1 down in their Champions League last-16 tie with Paris Saint-Germain.  

The vote was scheduled to take place on January 24 but a spike in COVID-19 cases in Spain pushed the election back six weeks.  In addition to the delayed vote, Barca’s concerns have been compounded by official debt levels of over €1 billion and a legal investigation that involves Bartomeu, who was provisionally released under charges of unfair administration and corruption of business, on March 3.

However, Barca fans will now be hoping Laporta, who oversaw one of the club’s most successful periods which saw them win 12 major trophies, including their first treble under Pep Guardiola, can turn the Blaugrana’s fortunes around.

Laporta has pledged to focus on “social and human” results, while also promising to restore La Masia – the club’s famed academy – as a major contributor to the first team.

Laporta has also claimed to be the best chance Barca have of convincing Messi to sign a contract extension.  While Koeman was only appointed last year, Laporta has reportedly considered offering the Barca post to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.  Laporta hit the jackpot when he appointed the inexperienced Guardiola, who was assisted by Arteta at Manchester City, in 2008.

Opposing candidate Friexa conceded with 80 percent of the vote counted. “I want to congratulate Laporta for this victory, which does not allow for any discussion. We must now support our President. Such a high turnout legitimises his win,” he said.

Story by Sammy Wejinya

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