The election fight had wrapped up, with Victor Font outmanoeuvred without much resistance. But for Joan Laporta, the real challenge is just getting started reviving Barcelona’s position atop European football.

This Wednesday, Newcastle comes to Camp Nou for the Champions League round of 16, the tie delicately balanced after a 1-1 draw in England last week. Eddie Howe’s side enters as underdogs but has shown they can pose a real threat, leaving Laporta’s hopes hanging in the air.

Laporta described the last five years as pulling Barcelona back from the brink, taking over a club drowning in debt. Now, the goal is to build on that shaky foundation and push the team beyond last season’s semi-final finish, the first in six years. If Barca can go one step further and win in Budapest, Laporta might not even be officially in charge yet.

His new term, actually his fourth overall and second consecutive, officially begins in July. Until then, interim president Rafa Yuste manages the day-to-day. Laporta expressed support, saying if Yuste lifts the Champions League trophy, it’ll be "wonderful".

Behind the scenes, though, it’s clear 63-year-old Laporta remains the driving force. On election day, he mingled with club legends and key figures past and present, including Sergio Busquets, who helped bring home three Champions League titles.

That last Barca European triumph dates back over ten years to the Messi era, when the club seemed untouchable. Letting Messi go just months after Laporta returned in 2021 was a tough blow, a rare blemish on his record. Delays returning to a partially renovated Camp Nou and registration missteps over Dani Olmo added to a rocky start.

Many worried when Laporta pulled the "palancas", those financial tools to raise cash by selling future TV rights and assets, fearing it might cripple the club long-term. Yet, at least for now, that high-risk move has helped. Laporta and sporting director Deco backed signings like Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Kounde – moves aimed at restoring Barca’s elite status – and it seems to be paying off.

Their boldest call was hiring Hansi Flick, a bet on his style that has brought excitement and success. Barca clinched a domestic treble last season and reached the Champions League semi-finals, though it fell short against Inter Milan. Defensive frailties remain a concern, especially with Newcastle looking to exploit Barca’s high defensive line.

Still, on the bright side, Barca boasts young talents like winger Lamine Yamal and midfielder Pedri Gonzalez, arguably two of the best in the world at their positions.

After his win, Laporta confidently declared the coming five years would be “the best years of our lives", a bold statement considering he steered the club through Ronaldinho’s era, Messi’s rise, and Guardiola’s treble-winning team in 2009.

With Camp Nou reopening to nearly 63,000 fans and plans to expand to 105,000, Laporta believes the club’s financial health has improved enough to compete with wealthy Gulf-backed teams like Newcastle, now owned by Saudi interests.

“No one can stop us,” Laporta said, energised by victory. But given Barca’s mixed European fortunes over the last decade, doubts linger about whether they can overcome internal challenges.

Newcastle’s visit offers a chance to kick off Laporta’s new chapter with a statement win and push further into the Champions League quarter-finals. It’s an opportunity Barca can’t afford to miss.

Barcelona seems to be hesitating when it comes to locking in a long-term deal for Marcus Rashford, whose contract with Manchester United still has more than two years to run. A return to Old Trafford remains on the table as a possible route. You can catch plenty of highlights, read analyses, or chat with those more immersed in La Liga, but gauging Barcelona’s true satisfaction with Rashford’s loan spell since last summer isn’t straightforward.

Most of the feedback is generally positive, and it’s clear Rashford would be keen to make the move permanent – understandably so, given the club’s stature. But whether Barcelona shares the same eagerness to keep him permanently is less obvious. Coach Hansi Flick has praised Rashford as a solid option, highlighting his finishing skills and versatility, which is encouraging, but usage patterns tell another story.

For instance, Rashford made a strong start by scoring twice in his debut at St James’ Park last August, but was only a substitute for twenty minutes in his recent appearance against Newcastle. Flick’s faith is evident but cautious; Rashford has started just over half of Barcelona’s La Liga matches, four of their nine Champions League games, tallying decent numbers: five goals and four assists in Europe, and four goals and eight assists domestically.

He featured in a few other competitions too, with a goal and assist in the Copa Del Rey and a limited impact in the Supercopa. Minor injuries have cropped up, but the stats suggest Rashford has been solid without really blowing anyone away. On the upside, he hasn’t been overworked, which has Thomas Tuchel’s attention. The England manager seems likely to take him to the next World Cup, where Rashford’s relatively fresh legs could set him apart.

If he shines at the 2026 World Cup, that £26 million buy option could start to look like a bargain for Barcelona. But the club’s transfer choices often get tangled up in financial and political factors, so the uncertainty around Rashford’s future isn’t surprising.

What should be clearer, though, is that going back to Manchester United isn’t as far-fetched as some might assume. Whether Michael Carrick stays or someone new takes charge, a fresh start could be on the cards if Barcelona doesn’t make the move permanent.

It’s been more than ten years since Rashford burst onto the scene with a brace in United’s Europa League win over Midtjylland in early 2016. At 28, nearing his prime years, there’s arguably more to come. Is the relationship with United’s leadership truly beyond repair? With new management stepping in next season, things might look very different from the tough split he had before.

Maybe Barcelona is eager to keep him, envisioning him as a key starter or future leader. Or maybe they’re not convinced. If it’s the latter, Rashford and United should seriously consider hitting the reset button.