Barcelona set presidential election for 15 March as Joan Laporta seeks re-election | OneFootball

Barcelona will hold their presidential election on 15 March, set for the weekend of the Sevilla fixture. Joan Laporta will seek re-election.

According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, the board met at midday and, after hours of debate, chose the earliest permissible date between 15 March and 15 June, following the statutes that recommend a matchday vote. The Sevilla game could be played on Saturday 14 if Barça remain in the Champions League.

The vote falls during the round of 16. Opting for the 15th avoids risking a confidence test after a potential early exit had they picked the 22nd, another date considered. The directors also ruled out waiting until the end of the season.

No sitting president has lost an election and Hansi Flick’s side are broadly on track, so Laporta starts as favourite against a fragmented opposition. If he wins and completes the term to 2031, he would reach 17 years in office, second only to Josep Lluis Núñez on 22. The 2003 generation would prolong its hold for another five years.

When Laporta tenders his mandatory resignation by early February at the latest, there will be no caretaker commission. Day-to-day duties will pass to a small group of allied directors, likely led by first vice-president Rafael Yuste, comprising one third of the current 17.

Three challengers have already presented platforms. Víctor Font, who polled 16,679 votes, 30 percent, in 2021, Xavier Vilajoana, who failed to collect the signatures, and financier Marc Ciria. Joan Camprubí Montal, of Som un Clam, is focusing on opposition unity rather than a solo bid.

An Extraordinary Assembly has been called for 8 February to renew Spotify’s deal, shirts to 2030 and Camp Nou naming rights to 2034. Members will also be asked to approve a new front-of-shirt partner to replace ACNUR when its contract ends this summer. The meeting will be held online.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo