Laporta’s 10 challenges in final term, from Espai Barça to Messi and financial fair play | OneFootball

Laporta swept back into the Barcelona presidency and now faces a defining final term, even though he does not formally take office until 1 July. He has until 2031 to complete his programme, led by the 105,000-seat Camp Nou.

According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, the Espai Barça remains the headline task. The stadium is operating below full capacity and installing the roof could force another temporary move, perhaps to Montjuïc or an expanded Johan Cruyff Stadium. Completion is now spoken of for 2028, with financing likely to exceed the 1,500 million euros already approved.

Beyond the stadium, a new Palau Blaugrana, the Petit Palau, the Palau de Gel, plus a hotel and offices are still pending. Final costs and timelines are uncertain.

Restoring financial fair play is critical. An early decision to provision losses rather than attribute them to the pandemic prevented amortisation over five years and has hampered registrations, despite the wage bill falling to 54 per cent. Treasurer Ferran Olivé says Barça are about 11 million short of registering normally, after recent near-misses with Dani Olmo or Marcus Rashford.

La Masia continues to feed a youthful first team, but gaps persist. A centre forward will be required sooner rather than later, with Lewandowski, 37, out of contract in summer and a one-year extension only a possibility, and Ferran Torres inconsistent.

Succession planning also applies to Hansi Flick, whose deal runs to summer 2027. He might extend one or two seasons if harmony continues, yet managerial cycles at Barcelona are rarely long. Future options mooted include Luis Enrique or Cesc Fàbregas, though other names may emerge.

The club’s other sections need fresh muscle. Basketball and handball salaries weigh on football’s fair play calculations, Xavi Pascual’s team is stretched on court, and safeguarding Barça femení against the English league’s pull is vital. The women’s side is the only self-sustaining section.

Laporta must also attempt to rebuild strained ties with Leo Messi and Xavi. A proposed tribute match and statue have not moved Messi, and relations with Xavi worsened after he aired resentment towards Laporta and Alejandro Echevarría.

Greater transparency is another target after opaque or poorly explained deals involving firms such as Limak, New Era Visionary Group, ISL, Congo and Zero-Knowledge Proof. Reducing debt is pressing too, with 1,450 million owed excluding the 1,500 million for the remodelling and cumulative losses of 230 million across five years.

The Negreira case is in court and has harmed the club’s reputation. Payments continued until 2018, and while Laporta is not charged, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu are. By 2031 he must also choose a successor, mindful that backing Jaume Ferrer in 2010 did not end well.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo