Laporta will stay as Barcelona president

Joan Laporta will likely be declared president of Spanish Barcelona for the next four years after his rivals were unable to raise the support of the required 1,804 club members in order to stand in the election.

Leading rivals Jaume Guixa and Jordi Medina said they would withdraw from the race. Laporta will now continue as president until 2010.

Laporta, elected to the post in 2003, was ordered to hold a new poll in July following a ruling by a Spanish judge, who upheld a complaint by three club members that he had exceeded his four-year term in office.

The judge ruled that according to the club's statutes the year ran from July to June, and that as Laporta had taken power on June 22, 2003, the eight days before the end of the month constituted his first year in office.

Laporta's four-year term therefore expired on June 30 this year and the electoral process was initiated last month.

Laporta took charge of Barcelona in 2003 on the back of a pledge to sign England midfielder David Beckham when he took power. The move failed to materialise as Beckham opted to join arch-rivals Real Madrid, but Barcelona signed Ronaldinho from Paris St Germain.

The Brazilian forward acted as the catalyst for the revival of the club and has since steered them to two league titles and victory in the Champions League.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.