Joan Laporta

Joan Laporta Estruch (Catalan pronunciation: [ʒuˈan ɫəˈpɔrtə]; born 29 June 1962) is a Spanish politician and former president of Futbol Club Barcelona between 2003 and 2010.

Laporta is a lawyer (he graduated from the University of Barcelona) with his own firm, Laporta & Arbós, which has important firms as clients. Laporta was married to Constanza Echevarría and has three sons, Pol, Guillem and Jan. He served as MP in the Parliament of Catalonia between 2010 and 2012.

Although his career at FC Barcelona ended his recent years, he left the club having won 6 trophies in one season (2009) setting a new record.

Career at Barcelona

He started his involvement with FC Barcelona leading the "Elefant Blau" (Blue Elephant), a group which opposed former president Josep Lluís Núñez and which, in 1998, tried, unsuccessfully, a vote of no confidence against him.

In the 2003 elections, Laporta did not start as the favourite, but his charisma grew during the electoral campaign and he finally won against the expected victor, publicist Lluís Bassat, in part because of a widely published (and ultimately unfulfilled) promise to bring David Beckham to Barcelona. Laporta had the support of other young businessmen of Barcelona, such as Sandro Rosell. Laporta quickly became a media star, even more than some of the players.