Joan Laporta steps down as president as Barçelona enters election mode

Joan Laporta has formally resigned as president of FC Barcelona, not because of any crisis, but because the club’s statutes leave him no other option if he wants another term. With that step, the vote scheduled for March 15th is officially under way.

The move follows Article 42.f of the Barça statutes, which requires any sitting president to vacate the post before standing again. The decision was ratified during the regular board meeting at the Spotify Camp Nou offices, where the election call was also approved. From that moment on, Laporta has been free to campaign without holding the office.

Rafa Yuste now takes over as interim president until the end of the mandate on June 30th. Until now, Yuste had been first vice-president and in charge of the sports department. Reports from inside the club say he is widely regarded as Laporta’s most trusted lieutenant. Yuste will be flanked by a reduced board, with Josep Cubells acting as vice-president and secretary, Alfons Castro as treasurer, and directors Josep Ignasi Macià, Àngel Riudalbas, Joan Solé i Sust, and Sisco Pujol.

Laporta did not resign alone. Several members of the board also stepped down so they can be part of the electoral process. Among them are Elena Fort, vice-president for the Institutional Area, Rafael Escudero, vice-president for the Social Area, and directors Ferran Oliver, Josep Maria Albert, Xavier Barbany, Miquel Camps, Aureli Mas, Xavier Puig, and Joan Soler i Ferré. If Laporta wins in March, those names would return after being ratified by the Assembly of Delegates, since they are not on the ballot themselves.

Candidates must collect 2,337 valid signatures to be confirmed. As usual, matchdays will be key hunting grounds for support, with the games against Levante on February 22nd and Villarreal on February 28th marked. The count and proclamation of candidates will run from March 3rd to 5th, followed by the official campaign between the 6th and 13th of that month.

There will be no mail-in voting this time, as there was last time, in 2021. The club has opted for in-person voting only, arguing that the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic no longer apply. Five polling stations will be set up, at the Camp Nou in Barcelona and in Lleida, Tarragona, Girona, and Andorra. The census will be universal, meaning members can vote at any of the locations regardless of where they are registered.

Laporta wasted little time setting out his message. Speaking after the board meeting, he struck a confident tone. “We have saved Barça, we have recovered it economically,” he said.

“From a sporting point of view it is also a very positive moment, and what we are most proud of as a board is that we have given joy back to the fans.”

He then made his intention clear: “We want to continue because we want to complete the work that has been done and, if possible, improve it.”

Laporta will have some challengers. Víctor Font, who ran in the previous elections, has reopened his campaign headquarters and insists that “our dream is to give Barça back to the people,” framing the vote as a chance to reconnect the club with its members. Xavier Vilajoana and Marc Ciria are also expected to formalize their candidacies soon. The general perception is that Laporta starts as the heavy favorite due to Barcelona’s improved finances, trophies won during his reign, and good performances from the team this season.