Inside Barcelona’s presidential shake-up: Laporta and the path to March 15

Barcelona announced on Monday that the club’s president, Joan Laporta, has stepped down from his position in what is understood to be in line with the club’s statutes ahead of the elections that will take place on March 15.

Even casual football fans are familiar with the name Laporta. And one does not need to be a Barça supporter to have seen him involved in some of the activities of the Catalan-based club.

Until this development, the Barcelona-born businessman and politician has presided over the club twice: 2003–2010, and since March 2021.

Whether during discussions that often trail the club’s meetings with Real Madrid, their archrivals, or controversies involving the club and its players, Laporta has been a recurrent name within the Spanish side.

Just last month, ESPN reported him “blasting” Real Madrid’s forward Kylian Mbappe, saying the Frenchman was not “respectful,” following Barça’s 3–2 win in the Spanish Supercopa final in Jeddah.

His tenure has never been quiet. Not really. In what would be one of the biggest criticisms of his career, for example, he faced the highly controversial resignation of five members of the board of directors in 2005, during his first tenure.

The departing directors, including then vice-president Sandro Rosell, said Laporta was abusing his powers and was adopting authoritarian traits. Their decision to step down was understood to be in protest.

Eight more resigned three years later after a damaging vote of no confidence and Laporta’s refusal to step down.

But then, it was also during that period, specifically in 2009, that Barcelona set a new record, becoming the first club to win six trophies in a calendar year. More broadly, during Laporta’s time as president, the sporting sections of the club have accumulated more than 100 official trophies.

It has been a lot for the Spaniard who inherited the club that had not won a major trophy since 1999, taking on the role with limited support and a bold campaign promise of bringing David Beckham from Manchester United.

And now, according to a statement on 9 February, Laporta has resigned to stand for re-election.

“In accordance with Article 42.f of the FC Barcelona Statutes, president Joan Laporta has stepped down from his position in order to be eligible to stand in the elections to the Board of Directors, which will be held on 15 March,” the La Liga club revealed.

But what does this mean? Sportsbuzzfeed will explain.

Interim leadership

With Laporta stepping down, the election process is already in play. The club’s statutes say any sitting president must resign in order to stand again. This is just a procedural requirement that sets the stage for the formal contest among the candidates.

The vote is scheduled for 15 March, giving the Catalan club a window to organise its internal structures and prepare the members for what promises to be a closely watched election.

In the meantime, Rafa Yuste who served as first vice-president and overseer of the sporting department, now assumes the role of interim president.

He is joined by a reduced board that will be in charge of the club until the elections end. Others like Josep Cubells and Alfons Castro will handle vice-presidential and treasury duties, while the rest of the board members will ensure operation continues in other areas.

For supporters though, it is business as usual on the pitch.

Laporta did not resign alone. Nine directors from his former board followed him. This includes Elena Fort, Rafael Escudero, Ferran Olivé, Josep Maria Albert, Xavier Barbany, Miquel Camps, Aureli Mas, Xavier Puig, and Joan Soler i Ferré.

Their departure fulfills the legal requirement, allowing potential candidates to enter the race without conflicts of interest.

It is worth noting that Joan Laporta is the 41st president in the club’s history. Here are all the presidents of Barcelona so far.

• Walter Wild (1899–1901)

• Bartomeu Terrades (1901–1902)

• Paul Haas (1902–1903)

• Arthur Witty (1903–1905)

• Josep Soler (1905–1906)

• Juli Marial (1906–1908)

• Vicenç Reig (1908)

• Joan Gamper (multiple terms: 1908–1909 / 1910–1913 / 1917–1919 / 1921–1923 / 1924–1925)

• Otto Gmeling (1909–1910)

• Francesc de Moxó (1913–1914)

• Àlvar Presta (1914)

• Joaquim Peris de Vargas (1914–1915)

• Rafael Llopart (1915–1916)

• Gaspar Rosés (1916–1917 / 1920–1921 / 1930–1931)

• Ricard Graells (1919–1920)

• Arcadi Balaguer (1925–1929)

• Tomàs Rosés (1929–1930)

• Antoni Oliver (1931)

• (Interim employees' committee) (1936–1937)

• Francesc Xavier Casals (1937–1939)

• (Managing Commission) (1939–1940)

• Enrique Piñeyro (Marquès de la Mesa de Asta) (1940–1943)

• Josep Vidal-Ribas (1942)

• Josep Antoni de Albert (1943)

• Agustí Montal i Galobart (1946–1952)

• Enric Llaudet (1961–1968)

• Narcís de Carreras (1968–1969)

• Agustí Montal i Costa (1969–1977)

• Raimon Carrasco i Azemar (1977–1978)

• Josep Lluís Núñez (1978–2000)

• Joan Gaspart i Solves (2000–2003)

• Enric Reyna i Martínez (2003)

• (Management Committee) (2003)

• Joan Laporta (2003–2010)

• Sandro Rosell (2010–2014)

• Josep Maria Bartomeu (2014–2020)

• (Managing Commission) (2020–2021)

• Joan Laporta (2021–present)

Source: CBS Sports

Laporta, seeking a return to the presidency, remains the most popular and commands the largest base of support among club members.

There are also other top challengers who are positioning themselves. These include  Víctor Font (especially Víctor Font!), Xavier Vilajoana, Marc Ciria, and Joan Camprubí who have officially declared their intentions to run.

The process itself is not as simple as you think. Eligible members, roughly 100,000 in total, will cast their votes at designated polling stations across Catalonia and in Andorra. Candidates must collect valid member signatures to qualify, while campaigning runs up until the days immediately before the vote.

As of the time of writing, the club has entered a period of heightened political activity, even as sporting activities continue uninterrupted.

For Barcelona, the weeks ahead will test the club’s governance as much as its sports. With Laporta back in the spotlight and rivals positioning themselves, members will be watching as the March 15 vote decides not just a president, but the direction of the club for years to come.