​Joan Laporta looking to plant his own candidate for next Barcelona election to ensure stabilityJoan Laporta’s second spell as Barcelona president will forever be tainted because of Lionel Messi’s departure in 2021.But barring Messi’s exit, Laporta has barely put a foot wrong and has played a critical role in ensuring relative financial stability at the club, all the while helping lead the Catalans back to dominance.However, Laporta won’t be eligible to run for the next Barcelona election, which is why the Spaniard is already hard at work trying to ensure the stability will remain even after his exit.Laporta looking to plant his own candidateLaporta has been central to Barcelona’s success. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)According to Diario AS, Laporta is entering his final term as president with the clear objective of achieving financial and social stability, while also preparing a successor from within his own ranks.On September 19, the Barcelona members’ assembly confirmed the appointment of the final seven board members who will serve alongside Laporta until 2031. With the statutes preventing him from running again, the president is determined to avoid the internal tensions and boardroom defections that marked the latter stages of his first spell.Across his two presidencies, Laporta has worked with 47 different board members, 17 of whom left before the end of their term.To that end, Laporta has recently incorporated five new managers into his project: Carme Hortala, Jaume Santiveri, Xavier Barniol, Carles Ayats and Jaume Nicolas.A crucial term aheadLaporta is looking to unite his loyalists. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)This final term is viewed as pivotal for Barcelona’s long-term future, with several major objectives to fulfil.Chief among them is completing the Espai Barca project and the renovation of the Camp Nou, building a winning team with a bright future, and paying off the club’s substantial debt. Laporta will be keen to avoid the disruptions that plagued his first spell, when institutional crises and a 2008 vote of no confidence forced significant changes to his board.His second term has proven far more stable, marked by shrewd decisions such as the appointment of Hansi Flick and the activation of economic levers to steady the finances.The key now, though, is succession. A group of Laporta loyalists appears united, but a continuity candidate must emerge from within to carry on his work. And it is there, in identifying and backing the right successor, that the potential for fresh dissension could arise.