Former Barcelona club president Joan Laporta has a simple pitch in his attempt to get reelected to the post. According to Laporta, he is the best chance Barcelona has of convincing Lionel Messi to stay put at Camp Nou. Laporta is one of a handful of candidates vying to become Barcelona's next president in an election by club members called for Jan. 24. Besides having successfully led Barcelona a decade ago, Laporta's strongest asset to win over voters is his relationship with Messi, whose future with the club is in serious doubt. "I hope to convince Messi to stay a few more years with us so that this beautiful story he has at Barça can continue," Laporta told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

"I have the honor to have the credibility of the player," Laporta said. "When we meet, Messi always is telling me that 'you always did what you said you would,' and this is something that I am very proud of and I don't want to lose." Laporta knows Messi from when he took over the club as its young president in 2003. A teenage Messi had recently joined the Spanish club after leaving Argentina with his family. At the start of his stint as president, Laporta chose the equally inexperienced Frank Rijkaard as his first coach, and brought in Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o and Deco to team up with in-house talents Carles Puyol and Xavi Hernández. Messi quickly moved up through Barcelona's youth teams and joined the top squad in 2004.