Joan Laporta: A sporting chance in politics

Spain's conservative Partido Popular has accused him of being an
"Ultra." An English journalist labelled him "Barça's Kennedy." A
former colleague decried his "authoritanism, opacity and power-greed."
The man who inspired that range of opinion is none other than Joan
Laporta, the charismatic president of Futbol Club Barcelona and
presumed candidate for political office. The media-savvy Laporta has
kept his future intentions close to the vest, but his transition from
sport to local politics looks inevitable. Indeed, if there ever was a
club that could prepare a man for the political arena, it's Barça,
where politics and sport are inextricably linked. (Full story in
printed edition).