Godall put forward to replace Laporta

Barcelona vice-president Alfons Godall has officially put his hat in the ring for this summer´s presidential elections and can count with the support of the present incumbent Joan Laporta.
There has been plenty of debate over the last year about who will take over from Laporta with no clear candidate having emerged who has the support of the whole board. Added to this mix there are previous board members who have left in controversy like Rosell and Soriano who are also set to have a say in who wins the elections. It is set to be an interesting few months with the different candidates presenting their cases and several of them are bitter enemies.
Another board member Jaume Ferrer had already announced he would be standing and this was greeted by the wrath of Laporta who complained that he should have told him first out of courtesy. Former vice-president Soriano, who has plenty of enemies inside the present board but is the early favourite with a lot of support from the fans, says he will also be a candidate.
Initially Laporta appeared to favour the economist Xavier Sala i Martin as his successor but the latter was never a vote puller. For Laporta his successor is very important as he wants to continue to have an important say behind the scenes at the club although he is prevented from standing for a further term according to club rules.
With all the controversy over who the continuation candidate will be and also whether Guardiola would stay the club has been forced into action in the last week firstly confirming Guardiola will remain and now naming Godall as Laporta´s chosen replacement.
“We want more success, more economic growth, and to invest 1,000m in six years. We want more members, more fans, more young people, and a Barcelona more global and for this reason I present myself as a candidate,” said Godall, with Laporta onlooking.
“The club has enjoyed the best period of its history which has been confirmed by older members such as my father who has supported the club for over 50 years. We have been able to win eleven titles in six years and with our own personal style of leadership. We are the inheritors of Johan (Cruyff) and we have believed in what we have done.
“In this period we have only had one sports director and two trainers. Laporta could never be described as a president who fires at the drop of a hat and at the same time we have given our support to the youth and development of quality football.”