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Who is new Barcelona president Joan Laporta, and could he persuade Messi to stay?

Joan Laporta was elected as Barcelona’s president on Sunday with about 58 per cent of the vote, putting him charge of an organisation in dire need of positive leadership after his predecessor resigned in October and the pandemic strained club finances.

It's Laporta's second time in charge of the Blaugrana; he last served in 2010, when a 22-year-old Lionel Messi was entering the stratosphere of global influence. Laporta used his background with Messi to convince voters his deep ties to the Argentinian star could help him prevent a summer transfer exit.

Much has changed since Laporta's last term, but he claims he knows the correct strategy to return Barcelona to the relative stability they enjoyed a decade ago.