Barcelona presidential election Q&A: Crucial vote could be delayed by Covid

Barcelona moved a step closer to finding out who their new president will be on Monday when four candidates produced a sufficient number of signatures to earn the right to officially stand for election. 

The big question now is when that election might take place, with a meeting on Friday potentially pushing back the current date of January 24 because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

Here, Sportsmail looks at the logistics behind the club’s biggest decision in years and weighs up the final four candidates amid a backdrop of financial chaos caused by Covid-19.

Tuesday’s Mundo Deportivo leads on the four candidates battling to be Barcelona president

The Spanish side need a replacement for Josep Maria Bartomeu, who walked away in October

WHO IS THE FAVOURITE?

Joan Laporta was the favourite before the signatures were counted; that is now even more the case. 

He collected 10,257. That’s more than his closest rival Victor Font, who collected 4,710, and Toni Freixa (2,821) and Emili Rousaud (2,257). 

Five other candidates – Jordi Farre, Xavier Vilajoana, Fernandez Ala, Pere Riera and Agusti Benedito all failed to produce the minimum 2,257 signatures.

SO LAPORTA IS HOME AND DRY THEN?

Well, not necessarily. He only produced 5,145 signatures in the build-up to the 2003 election but he still ended up beating Luis Bassat, who had gathered 8,590 signatures – so it’s no guarantee of anything. 

It suggests his confidence is well placed though, and he is the favourite. He will know there is still time for things to take an unexpected turn, however.

Joan Laporta was club president between 2003-10 and now wants to return to the Nou Camp

AND THE PANDEMIC COULD PUT BACK THE ELECTION DATE? 

Yes. Movement between municipalities in Catalonia is currently severely restricted because of the coronavirus, and if those restrictions are not lifted it could force the current election date of January 24 to be put back.

IS THAT LIKELY?

Restrictions were due to be lifted on January 18, but if medical experts confirm fears that this wave has still not reached its peak then the restrictions could be extended by two weeks and current lockdown rules would therefore still be in place until the start of February. That could put the election back into next month.

Victor Font is in the running to become Barca’s new president after a tough year for the club

WOULD THAT WRECK THE NEW PRESIDENT’S CHANCE OF MAKING MOVES IN THE TRANSFER MARKET? 

It would. After four wins from their last five games, moving up to third in LaLiga, and with Lionel Messi happy again, suddenly that doesn’t seem to matter as much as it did about a month ago, but every candidate would prefer to take the reigns with the window still open.

RONALD KOEMAN WOULDN’T BE HAPPY WITH THAT, WOULD HE?

It’s true Koeman has made no secret of wanting a new centre back (Eric Garcia from Manchester City) and a new striker (Memphis Depay from Lyon).

However, every time he has mentioned new signings he has always…