Rafa Yuste bids farewell to Barcelona interim presidency ahead of Laporta’s official return | OneFootball

FC Barcelona’s interim board of directors, led by acting president Rafa Yuste, is entering its final hours in charge of the club ahead of Joan Laporta’s official inauguration as president.

As confirmed earlier this week, Laporta will formally assume office on 1 July 2026 at 12:30 pm in a private ceremony at the club’s headquarters, marking the beginning of a new presidential term that will run until the summer of 2031.

Ahead of his return to presidency, the outgoing board that consisted of Yuste (Interim President), Josep Cubells (Vice President and Secretary), Alfons Castro (Treasurer), Josep Ignasi Macia, Angel Riudalbas, Joan Sole, and Sisco Pujol (Directors) are set to step down.

Their tenure comes to an end after overseeing a relatively short but highly successful transitional period, both on and off the pitch.

141 days of success

Yuste’s 141-day spell in charge produced an impressive record of stability and sporting success.

During the interim administration, Barcelona’s professional teams won eight trophies across all sections.

This includes the UEFA Women’s Champions League in Oslo, the European handball title, four domestic league championships, including La Liga, along with additional silverware across the club’s sporting departments.

Internally, the outgoing leadership has highlighted the smooth institutional transition throughout the period.

Yuste also took on Florentino Perez head on during this period, after the Real Madrid president constantly attacked Barcelona over the Negreira case. The board, led by Yuste, filed a complaint with La Liga, CTA, and the RFEF against the Real Madrid chief.

Yuste steps down to make way for the returning Laporta. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

Reflecting on the board’s work, vice president and secretary Josep Cubells summarised the achievement simply (h/t SPORT): “We achieved institutional stability.”

A new era begins

With the interim board stepping aside, Barcelona officially enters a new chapter under Joan Laporta, who won the presidential election on 15 March.

His new mandate will run until the summer of 2031 and is expected to focus on long-term sporting success, institutional development and the continued growth of the club both on and off the field. As for Yuste, he will return to his role as Laporta’s Vice President.