Top 5 Barcelona signings under Joan Laporta’s presidency
Joan Laporta won the Barcelona presidential election on Sunday, which could see him steer the affairs of the club till 2026.
The Blaugrana have been mired with controversies in the last few years, culminating with the embarrassing resignation of former president Josep Maria Bartomeu last summer.
That prompted elections to be held earlier than previously scheduled, with Joan Laporta winning the ballot after defeating his three challengers. However, the new Barcelona president has several issues to sort out, one of them being sorting out Lionel Messi's future, as the Barcelona captain is set to be out of contract at the end of the season.
Both men have a good camaraderie, and many opine that Laporta's good standing with Messi played a key role in him securing the Barcelona presidency for the next five years.
But another important issue Laporta will need to address is Barcelona's dire financial standing. Recent reports have revealed that the Blaugrana are in real danger of bankruptcy and might not be able to afford their transfer targets in the coming years.
Nevertheless, strengthening of the team is also of paramount importance, as Barcelona have fallen some way off their previous standards. They have shown their inability to contest with the elite sides in the continent at the moment, as they have had big defeats in their last four UEFA Champions League campaigns.
However, Laporta had previously presided over Barcelona between 2003 and 2010. It was during this tenure that Barcelona scaled unprecedented highs, which included becoming the first club to win a sextuple in a calendar year.
The bold decision to promote Pep Guardiola from his role as Barcelona B manager to first team coach after just a year of managerial experience also played a key role in establishing the club as a dominant force.
Top five signings by Barcelona under Joan Laporta's presidency:
The 58-year-old's first tenure saw the promotion of several players from La Masia who went on to become mainstays in the first team. That group includes Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Victor Valdes and Pedro, to name a few.
However, there were also several notable players who were signed and made a mark for Barcelona. On that note, let's have a look at the top five Barcelona signings under Joan Laporta's presidency.
Honourable mentions: Yaya Toure, Seydou Keita, Thierry Henry.
#5 Deco (2004 - 2008)
Deco made waves as the creative force in Porto's shock 2004 UEFA Champions League triumph before completing a move to Barcelona that summer.
Alongside Ronaldinho, the former Portugal international helped end the Blaugrana's six-year trophyless run, as Barcelona won the La Liga in 2005, which they successfully defended a season later. The UEFA Champions League was added to their trophy cabinet in 2006.
Deco was named the UEFA Midfielder of the Year, which in addition to the one he won at Porto, made him the first player to win the award with two different clubs. He also helped the Blaugrana win the FIFA Club World Cup in 2006, where he was named the Best Player of the tournament and the MVP in the final.
Deco signed for Chelsea in the summer of 2008, but he departed as a bonafide Camp Nou legend after making 161 appearances in all competitions for the Blaugrana, scoring 21 goals and providing 45 assists.
#4 Samuel Eto'o (2004 - 2009)
Samuel Eto's acted as the focal point of Barcelona's attack for five seasons, which he did so with aplomb.
With Ronaldinho, Deco, and later Lionel Messi acting as the supply line behind him, the four-time African Player of the Year scored goals with reckless abandon. Eto'o was an integral part of the success enjoyed by Barcelona in his five years at Camp Nou.
The former Cameroon international scored 130 goals and provided 40 assists in 199 matches in all competitions for Barcelona. His five-year stint at the club saw him win eight major trophies, including two Champions League crowns and three La Liga titles.
Samuel Eto'o was controversially sold to Inter Milan in the summer of 2009, and poetic justice was served when he helped the Nerrazurri eliminate his former club in the Champions League en route to becoming the first player to win consecutive continental trebles.