Joan Laporta confirms he will resign on nine February to stand in Barça elections | OneFootball

The club said in a statement that president Joan Laporta will step down on Monday nine February, the day elections are called, so he can run in the vote scheduled for Sunday 15 March 2026.

The move triggers the electoral process, meaning he and some directors will stand aside to drive his re-election campaign, while another group, led by Rafael Yuste, will continue to manage the club.

In a brief institutional message on the club's channels, issued while he travelled with the first team for the Copa del Rey quarter-final at Albacete, Laporta said statutes require some board members to resign in order to stand again, and that this would be executed at a board meeting that day.

He said he feels optimistic and has the energy, and wants the process to be exemplary.

Aware that Victor Font, Marc Ciria, Xavi Vilajoana and Joan Camprubí Montal are working on pre-candidacies, Laporta said he wants candidates to set out their proposals calmly and cordially, and hopes for a high turnout.

He added that those who remain at the club, to be finalised at that meeting, will safeguard the process, and that polling day should feel like a celebration.

Laporta also referenced Barça's bid to host the 2029 Champions League final at Spotify Camp Nou, saying the club will keep making decisions during the campaign and that he hopes the bid succeeds, ideally with Barça involved.

Source: Superdeporte