Sandro Rosell is set to become the new president of Barcelona in Sunday's elections at the Catalan club.
The former vice-president is runaway leader in the polls and gathered more signatures from the socios than the other three candidates put together.
Rosell, who worked under current president Laporta from 2003 to 2005, was key to bringing players like Ronadinho and Deco to the Catalan club.
But the 46 year-old stepped down in 2005, claiming Laporta was failing to carry out his original plan.
The two have been at loggerheads ever since and although the team have been hugely successful on the pitch, winning 12 trophies in seven years under Laporta, Rosell believes the club has become too political under his former colleague.
"There have been some good things, like the partnership with Unicef and the appointment of (Pep) Guardiola (as coach), but Barca should never be mixed with politics," he said in last night's televised debate between the four candidates.
Laporta has openly declared his intentions to enter politics once he leaves the club and has set his sights on becoming president of Catalonia.
The current Barca chief has also been criticised for an exaggerated nationalistic stance in his time as president, which has ostracised many of the club's non-Catalan supporters.
But Rosell says Barcelona are a symbol for region and believes the club's Catalan essence should remain intact.
"The Catalan nature forms part of the essence of the club, but it has to be understood in a totally open manner, without (political) party support," he said.
"The Barca we are proposing will be involved with the territory and its people."
Rosell, who is likely to bring in his own sporting director to replace Txiki Begiristain - reported to be former Barca player and coach Carles Rexach - says his priority will be to strengthen the playing staff.
"If we win the elections, the first thing I will do will be to sit down with Pep (Guardiola) to see how we can strengthen the playing squad," he said.
Should Rosell triumph, the 46-year-old will have to liaise with Laporta for two weeks in a handover period, but the president-elect is unconcerned by that prospect.
"I am sure the transition would be smooth," he said.
The second favourite to win tomorrow's elections, Barca's former sport and marketing vice-president Marc Ingla, says Rosell would take the club backwards.
"With Rosell it would be like going back to 2000 or the last century," he said earlier this week.
"He wants to elect a sporting vice-president who knows nothing about football, but who is his friend.
"He will have a technical secretary who isn't Txiki (Begiristain), but he won't say who he is.
"He will interfere and he will take us backwards, he would make a mess of the club's (current) model."
Laporta is supporting colleague Jaume Ferrer, who is the only candidate still working in the current regime.
Ferrer is not expected to triumph, but says he is worried by the other alternatives.
"They make me scared," he said.
"They put everything we have achieved in danger. One bad move could make our projects end up in the bin, the club's Catalan essence as well."
The other candidate, Agusti Benedito, is also against Laporta's political stance, but says the current president's model is a valid one.
"Laporta has used the club as a political platform and for his own personal benefit - that's a big error," he said.
"But the current model is a good one."
Meanwhile, Barca legend Joan Cruyff says he is underwhelmed by all of the candidates.
Whoever sits there (as Barca president) has a difficult task and we'll have to see if they know what they have to do," he told Television de Catalunya today.
"In the programmes that I have read, I have seen that they have been trying to be nice to the socios, but I have not a seen a real analysis of the functioning of the club."
Under Rosell, Cruyff looks set to lose the title of honorary president awarded to him earlier this year by Laporta.
"I don't like the fact that such a big decision was taken behind the socios' backs," he said.
One person who will definitely remain in his position is Guardiola.
"We have the best coach in the world and I am sure we will keep winning," he said.
"(New Real Madrid coach Jose) Mourinho doesn't worry me."
