This is a summary of the blog FC Barcelona 2010 where you can follow the build-up to the elections on a daily basis. The blog can also be followed through facebook and twitter. You can click on the links to read the full story. You can also read previous episodes of this weekly here.

The collection of 2,095 signatures of support needed by the candidates to qualify them for the final vote on June 13 ended on Tuesday with four out of seven candidates beating the deadline.

Sandro Rosell delivered an impressive 13,618 signatures, followed by Marc Ingla with 4,744,  Jaume Ferrer with 4.442, and Agusti Benedito with 2896. Pre-candidates Santiago Salvat, Jaume Guixa and Alexis Plaza failed to present their support slips and are considered  dropped from the race.

Earlier reports indicated that Rosell completed the required 2,095 signatures  days ahead of the June 1 deadline. Rosell earlier requested the board to allow him to use his nickname “Sandro” instead of his given name “Alexandre” which is printed on the support slips, but his appeal was rejected by the electoral board.

In its live coverage of the termination of the signature gathering, the blog reported that Plaza had collected 1,209 signatures which he had caused to be destroyed. Earlier in the week, Plaza  revealed that some candidates tried to buy his signatures although he did not name the parties who made the said offer.

The electoral board is now in the process of validating the signatures presented and will announce today, June 4, which candidates have made the final cut.

(UPDATE: The club’s board secretary Josep Cubells today announced the official list of candidates that would take part in the final vote, as follows: Sandro Rosell with 12, 635 validated signatures,  Marc Ingla  with 4,288 validated signatures,  Jaume Ferrer with 3,935 validated signatures, and Agusti Benedito with 2,520 validated signatures.)

According to the electoral calendar, the final candidates will have until June 11 to carry out their campaign and present their programs. They are also expected to take part in a series of debates lined up by the Catalan broadcast media which will culminate in a final debate organised by Catalan television channel TV3 on June 11.

Members of the Barcelona board who will be taking part in the upcoming elections have already resigned their posts, among them, vice-presidents Jaume Ferrer and Alfons Godall, along with six other directors. A board of seven people led by club president Joan Laporta and treasurer Xavier Sala i Martin will now govern the club until June 30.

Rosell linked to corruption case

Candidate Marc Ingla has linked his co-candidate Sandro Rosell to a corruption case currently being investigated in Brazil. Rosell, who has denied Ingla’s claims insisting he has not been “officially accused, said he will file legal action against Ingla but refused to further discuss the case,  simply adding that candidates should try to keep the campaign clean: “We should talk about Barça and the projects we have for the club because the member is not interested in all this. I ask all candidates to stop talking about the subject and I certainly will not talk about it anymore from now on.”

The former sports vice-president also clarified that while he may have pushed for the signing of several Brazilian players during his term, he does not represent the Brazilian school in a club whose footballing philosophy is decidedly Dutch- influenced.

Fernando Torres in the crosshairs

According to reports, some players have been offered to candidates or sounded out by the candidates themselves on a possible move to Barcelona in the summer among them: Fernando Torres, Andrei Arshavin, Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano, Alexandre Pato and Sergio Aguero.

Rosell, who is said to be particularly keen on bringing in Liverpool striker Fernando Torres, is reportedly preparing a multi million bid for the player that would be financed by selling Barcelona players Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thierry Henry. The plan is to reproduce the prolific partnership between Torres and his team mate in the Spanish national team, new Barcelona signing David Villa.

Rosell admitted to having talked with some players but denied he would interfere with the sporting decisions of Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola. He also plans to review the club’s policies on the youth system, claiming that the budget allocated for its development has not been spent well.

Ingla meantime commented that his presidency will honor any deal reached in connection with Arsenal midfielder and former Barcelona youth player Cesc Fabregas: “Whatever price the current board agrees for Cesc, if we’re elected, we will and can pay it.”

Gaspart denies supporting a candidate

Former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart has denied he is supporting a candidate in the upcoming Barcelona presidential elections in the wake of reports his hotel chain Husa was used as deposit points for the signature campaign of Marc Ingla: “Josep Lluís Núñez has every right to give his signature of support to Sandro Rosell, but I won’t support any candidate.”

Ingla is now supported by Jesus Farga, a former vice-president earlier linked to the candidacy of Rosell but who has now apparently switched loyalties after he gave his signature of support to the Ingla-Godall-Soriano group.

Ingla to appoint club ambassadors

Ingla announced that his presidency would be appointing honorary club ambassadors in different cities all over the world as part of a Global Advisory Council that would be formed to represent and advise the board regarding the club’s international policy.

The key cities where the club hopes to have an “embassy” include Abidjan, Abu Dhabi, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Mexico, Moscow, New York, Oslo, Sao Paulo and Tokyo.

Ingla has also confirmed the selection of a Tokyo ambassador in the person of Hiroshi Mikitani, chairman of Rakuten and owner of Japanese football club Vissel Kobe.

The club overpaid for Ibrahimovic, according to Benedito

Benedito believes the club paid too much for Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimnovic but claims that the player “can offer a lot more than he has shown so far”. He also repeated that neither Barcelona youth director Jose Ramon Alexanko nor sports director Txiki Begiristain will continue in their posts if he wins the presidency.

Sources have claimed that at least three presidential candidates are looking to get  former Barcelona goalkeeper Andoni Zubizaretta as a replacement for Begiristain who will likely leave the club in the summer. Zubizareta, who is reportedly close to Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, served as sports director of Athletic Bilbao from 2001 to 2004.

Quote of the week:

Let’s be honest, not all candidates believe in the youth academy. If they believe in a project based on transfers, they should dare to say it.

- Jaume Ferrer, Barcelona presidential candidate

Most read post of the week:

Rosell to file lawsuit against Ingla

Must read post of the week:

Rosell: “We can’t afford to relax now”

Interesting sidenote of the week:

[video] Benedito uses Al Pacino to motivate team