If Barcelona had not just secured their first league title triumph for six years, then the mass exodus from Barcelona’s boardroom would be causing chaos at Camp Nou.
Unfortunately for outgoing vice-president Sandro Rosell, success on the pitch means that the majority of the supporters of the club are not really fussed if he leaves or not.

After months of in-fighting behind the scenes at Barca, four directors stepped down this week from their posts.

Barcelona’s place in the Catalan community is immense and its importance in world football cannot be understated, so it is understandable that directors of the club feel all-powerful when they are charged with helping run such an organisation.

The bad news for the majority of them, is that the fans only really care that the people running the club are delivering results and Laporta certainly has.

Rosell resigned this week and he was soon followed by Jordi Mones, Jordi Moix and Josep Maria Bartomeu, who all shared his views on how Futbol Club Barcelona is being run.

Once again, Johan Cruyff is at the centre of controversy at the club, but his role in the whole episode remains unclear.

The Dutchman was an outstanding player for the club in the 1970’s, leading them to a championship in 1974, and then became a living legend when he created the Dream Team in the early 1990’s, that swept to four consecutive title triumphs and the club’s only European Cup success.

Throughout his reign as coach, Cruyff constantly fought with then-president, Josep Lluis Nuñez, and the battle did not end when he left.

Laporta was one of the leaders of a supporters’ group called Elefant Blau, whose sole aim was to dislodge Nuñez from his seat of power and Cruyff became a spokesman for them, as well as continuing his media role of constantly criticising the way that Barça was run, particularly through the Louis Van Gaal years.

So, it was not a surprise that when Laporta, who had become a great friend to Cruyff, was elected as president in 2003 that the Dutchman was never far away.

Rosell though had never taken to Cruyff, with his dislike being fuelled by his father, who was not taken with the player during his time as a director at Barça during the 1970’s.

But he should have known about the influence that the former Ajax star had on Laporta after it was made clear that the appointment of Frank Rijkaard as coach had Cruyff’s fingerprints all over it.

In a parting shot at Cruyff, Rosell offered some advice that he hopes will help ease the pressure on Laporta.

"If I could tell him something then I would say: ’Johan, seriously, for the good of everyone move away and let Joan relax a little’," Rosell said.

Rosell and Laporta became friends whilst playing football together for a local team in Sant Andreu and, after many years without seeing each other, reunited for the latter’s presidential campaign two years ago.

Despite maintaining a great relationship with Laporta in the first few months, Rosell’s time at the club began badly and never really improved.

He has been credited for using his wide range of contacts in South America and Nike to secure the services of star players Ronaldinho and Deco, but his handling of internal club affairs did not start well.

During negotations in the first couple weeks of the new administration’s time in charge, Rosell refused to sanction Txiki Begiristain’s demands for €3million-a-year.

The club’s sporting director ended up with half of that sum, still €500,000 more than Rijkaard was earning, and he never forgave Rosell.

On the pitch the team started disasterously under Rijkaard and fell as low as 12th before Christmas, with some poor results that included a 5-1 mauling at Málaga.

Rosell called for the Dutch coach to go and promoted his great friend, Luiz Felipe Scolari who he had got to know well during his day’s in charge of Nike’s South American operation.

In a recent interview Rijkaard claimed that he and assistant Henk Ten Cate understood the reasons that people had called for their heads.

Rosell was so intent on having his own man in charge that he once again suggested to the board that a change of trainer was needed during the summer of 2004.

After an incredible second-half of the season that saw the Catalan giants rise to second in the league, Rijkaard said he was extremely unhappy at the lack of faith.

"I had a meeting with Sandro and I talked through the situation when things were not going well on the field at the start of last season, but from there we finished the campaign with a good run," Rijkaard said.

"We went off for our holidays and then Sandro asked a second time for a change of coach.

"The first time I can accept because he was worried but later it surprised me and annoyed me even though the situation has not affected my approach at all."

Ten Cate went even further and said that relations with Rosell had broken down completely.

"Frank and I will never forget what Sandro has done," he said. "I think that in two years I have spoken just three times with him and it is clear that on a professional basis there is no communication between us," he said.

Rosell has hinted that he wanted Rijkaard replaced because he was not a fan of the Dutch coach’s all-out attacking style, but it was the breakdown in communication with Laporta and Begiristain that spelt the end of his time at Camp Nou.

After sharing everything in the early months, Laporta was invigorated by the success that many of his plans had and, according to Rosell, cut him and many other out from the decision-making process at the club.

"It’s incredible that within the same board there are some members who can’t tell you things because of a confidentiality clause," Rosell said.

"Joan, you should not forget the club members. They are the ones that elected you and Barcelona should always be run democratically."

The other three members of the board echoed his thoughts, although it is rumoured that Laporta forced Jordi Moix out for fear that he would report back to Rosell.

In Catalunya, the main question that is being asked is: how will this affect matters on the pitch?

If the team repeat their performances of this term havng signed the star player that they are currently searching for then Laporta’s popularity will be unswayed.

Fans were concerned that Rosell would persuade his friend, Ronaldinho, to leave the club with him, but he dispelled such rumours.

“I don’t know if Ronaldinho knows about my decision. What I am sure of is that he won’t leave, he is too important for Barca,” he said.

The bar has been set very high after such an enthralling season at Camp Nou and any slip-ups will be used by every one of the president’s enemies.

It is unlikely that Rosell will begin to attack his friend in public as he explained: "I’m leaving without any bad feeling," Rosell explained.

"But if these resignations make him correct his mistakes and resolve his conflict with himself then it will be good for the club."

Suggestions are already being made that Rosell will run against Laporta in the next presidential elections, so if the club end next season without a trophy then all this could come back to haunt the current club supremo