Kevin LustigLaporta's Barcelona future hangs in the balance (Updated 7/7)
July 7th 2008 15:28
Joan Laporta, president of perennial Champions League giants FC Barcelona, will be subject to a vote of confidence on 6 July. The vote will determine whether Laporta remains at the helm of one of Europe's leading football clubs or is removed from the post.
The measure was prompted by a petition by club member Oriol Giralt in the wake of a downward turn in Barcelona's fortunes in past few seasons. Despite winning their domestic championship two years in a row in 2005 and 2006, the Catalan club finished just third in Spain's La Liga this season and were dumped out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage by eventual winners Manchester United.
In response to the recent poor form, Laporta has overseen a radical housecleaning at the club, dispatching manager Frank Rijkaard in favor of Barca legend Pep Guardiola and supporting Guardiola's plan to let go of superstars Ronaldinho, Deco and Samuel Eto'o. Despite these measures, Laporta will now need the support of at least a third of Barcelona club members or hope that fewer than ten percent attend the vote. If Giralt and his cohorts can convince enough members to turn out for a vote of no confidence, they will force an election that will almost certainly see Laporta evicted from the Nou Camp.
Update 7/7: Joan Laporta will remain the president of Barcelona after the no-confidence vote failed to achieve the two-thirds majority necessary to remove him. Laporta received support from 37.75% of voters, less than 5% more than the amount that would have seen him evicted from the club.
Despite the overwhelming show of disapproval from Barcelona supporters, Laporta has resolved to stay on at the club, and Oriol Giralt, the originator of the petition for a no-confidence vote, has stated that he will not continue to press for Laporta to step down. However, Laporta will have to hope that Barcelona's fortunes shift in a positive direction in order to take off some of the heat of this clear show of a lack of support at the club. With several new signings this summer and more on the way, Barcelona and its president may be poised for just such a shift in the upcoming season.
The measure was prompted by a petition by club member Oriol Giralt in the wake of a downward turn in Barcelona's fortunes in past few seasons. Despite winning their domestic championship two years in a row in 2005 and 2006, the Catalan club finished just third in Spain's La Liga this season and were dumped out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage by eventual winners Manchester United.
In response to the recent poor form, Laporta has overseen a radical housecleaning at the club, dispatching manager Frank Rijkaard in favor of Barca legend Pep Guardiola and supporting Guardiola's plan to let go of superstars Ronaldinho, Deco and Samuel Eto'o. Despite these measures, Laporta will now need the support of at least a third of Barcelona club members or hope that fewer than ten percent attend the vote. If Giralt and his cohorts can convince enough members to turn out for a vote of no confidence, they will force an election that will almost certainly see Laporta evicted from the Nou Camp.
Update 7/7: Joan Laporta will remain the president of Barcelona after the no-confidence vote failed to achieve the two-thirds majority necessary to remove him. Laporta received support from 37.75% of voters, less than 5% more than the amount that would have seen him evicted from the club.
Despite the overwhelming show of disapproval from Barcelona supporters, Laporta has resolved to stay on at the club, and Oriol Giralt, the originator of the petition for a no-confidence vote, has stated that he will not continue to press for Laporta to step down. However, Laporta will have to hope that Barcelona's fortunes shift in a positive direction in order to take off some of the heat of this clear show of a lack of support at the club. With several new signings this summer and more on the way, Barcelona and its president may be poised for just such a shift in the upcoming season.
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