Barcelona President Joan Laporta May Run In Catalunyan Elections

The controversial Barca president has revealed a new plan for the future as his tenure at the Catalan club draws to a close...

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has admitted that he is very tempted by the possibility of presenting his candidacy in the next Catalunyan elections, to be headed by a new political party.

In an extensive interview with El Mundo, Laporta admitted that he has maintained contact with the ERC and the CiU (Catalunyan political parties) with respect to his possible candidacy, but emphasised that nothing is concrete yet.

"I can be a leader and the challenge of earning liberty for my country [Catalunya] is very attractive to me. It is what I want for my homeland."

Laporta has been very outspoken in the political arena as Barca president, frequently calling for the need for Catalunya to be an independent state from Spain. He has been roundly criticised for politicising his club and has been accused of alienating Barca's Spanish-speaking, Galician, Basque, Valencian and worldwide fans.