Barcelona President Joan Laporta eyeing tactical date for club elections | OneFootball

Barcelona President Joan Laporta has at no point been coy about his desire to run for reelection to his position for a second consecutive term. It would be his fourth overall, having won two terms in his first spell between 2003 and 2010, although he did not complete his second term.

Laporta returned to the summit of the club in 2021, on the promise that he would keep Lionel Messi at the club. He replaced Josep Maria Bartomeu, a long-time rival, who had resigned after a vote of no confidence motion was brought against him.

Since Laporta’s return, it has been an up and down time for the club, with Xavi Hernandez and Hansi Flick securing a Liga title each, but the former’s spell ending badly, and Ronald Koeman being sacked after less than a year in charge.

Laporta has date in mind for 2026 elections

The incumbent president’s five-year term will come to an end in 2026, forcing fresh elections at the club. According to Sport, Laporta is considering calling the elections in April. While often elections take place in June after the end of a season, Laporta is keen to hold elections earlier, so as to avoid the results of the team this season impacting the vote. The Catalan paper also reveal that Jordi Cuminal could be his campaign manager, who was part of his team in 2021.

Image via FC Barcelona

Who could rival Laporta in the elections?

Laporta will be the heavy favourite to win reelection against any challenger, but it seems likely that Victor Font will run against him for a second time. Font’s Si al Futur candidacy finished second behind Laporta, and his project centred around bringing Xavi back to the club, which Laporta later did.

Joan Camprubi, grandson of iconic 1960s President Augusti Montal, has also been positioning himself over the last year for a potential campaign, while renowned economist Marc Ciria i Roig has also been heavily involved in the club’s political and financial discourse.