'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAFAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgf/2gAIAQEAAAAAJ0r/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB/9oACAECEAAAAD//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/9oACAEDEAAAAH//xAAfEAABBAEFAQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEBQYAEhMhcUH/2gAIAQEAAT8AlZlZG6ye5jKLEmGtlLQ3EjoFCPdoJ6OoWT88Jh5dTXFTjaVkls/R7r//xAAYEQACAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQOR8P/aAAgBAgEBPwCPUj//xAAVEQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEf/aAAgBAwEBPwCP/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
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.
#3 Dani Alves (2008 - 2016)
Dani Alves has a place in history as the first Barcelona signing of the Pep Guardiola era; he was arguably the second most important player to Guardiola after Messi.
The Brazil international proved to be a hit on the right flank of defence, and his on-field understanding with Messi proved to be a major catalyst to Barcelona's success.
In eight trophy-laden seasons at Camp Nou, Alves cemented his legacy as a first-class Barcelona legend and was integral to the success enjoyed by both Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique.
The 37-year-old is currently the most decorated player in the history of football, with 23 of his trophies coming in the Blaugrana jersey.
The former Sevilla man made 391 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions, scoring 21 goals and providing a staggering 101 assists.
#2 Gerard Pique (2008 - )
Unlike the other names on this list, Gerad Pique began his development at the revered La Masia and was a part of the famed 'Class of '87' alongside Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas.
The World Cup winner returned to Barcelona after a brief spell with Manchester United. The decision to sanction his return ranks of one of the shrewdest decisions of Joan Laporta during his first tenure at the club.
Pique has been a rock at the heart of defence for Barcelona, first partnering Carles Puyol at the height of the club's golden era and later acting as the mentor of younger partners since Puyol's retirement.
The former Spain international has made 558 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona. He is also business savvy, with degrees acquired from prestigious universities. Many have pinpointed him as a future Barcelona president.
#1 Ronaldinho (2003 - 2008)
While Lionel Messi is inarguably the most important player in Barcelona's history, Ronaldinho helped lay the platform for the Rosario native to flourish.
Ronaldinho's arrival was integral to Laporta's presidency, with Laporta promising electorates that was going to bring David Beckham to Camp Nou during his campaign.
The former Manchester United man, however, elected to join Real Madrid, and Barcelona instead turned to Ronaldinho.
That proved to be a masterstroke, and the former Brazil international was key in helping reposition the club at the summit of the domestic and international game.
Ronaldinho's importance to Barcelona cannot be quantified, as he helped reestablish the club both on and off the field. At the time of his signing, Barcelona were in dire straits on all levels and had not won a trophy in five years.
That all changed in a short while, though, as Ronaldinho's otherworldy abilities on the field helped the Blaugrana win the La Liga title two years after his arrival and the UEFA Champions League in 2006.
Ronaldinho won personal accolades in abundance in recognition of his displays, which is evident in his consecutive FIFA World Best Player awards and a Ballon d'Or honour won during this period.
His status as the first global superstar footballer in the social media era also helped boost Barcelona's marketing appeal off the field and made them one of the most valuable football brands. However, his most important role arguably came in him acting as a guide and mentor to Messi during the early stages of the latter's career.
Ronaldinho regularly told anyone who cared to listen that a teenage Messi was better than him and provided invaluable on-field guidance to the fledgeling superstar.
In many ways, it can be argued that the Blaugrana might not have achieved their success of the last 15 years had they not signed Ronaldinho in 2003. It is for this reason the Brazilian ranks as the greatest signing under Joan Laporta.
