Joan Laporta’s new Barcelona board to include five new executives | OneFootball

Joan Laporta’s new presidential term at Barcelona will officially begin after the formation of a revamped board of directors, with five new members joining the leadership team and two new vice presidents set to be appointed, reports Ferran Correas of SPORT.

Before Laporta is formally sworn in as president, the club will hold the first meeting of the board that will oversee Barcelona for the next five years.

Current interim board to step down

The first item on the agenda will be the resignation of the seven directors who have managed the club during the interim period following the resignations that allowed the previous board to stand for re-election.

Those stepping down are: Rafa Yuste, Josep Cubells, Alfons Castro, Josep Ignasi Macia, Sisco Pujol, Joan Sole, and Angel Riudalbas.

All seven will immediately be reappointed by Laporta as members of the new board. However, as required by club statutes, their appointments must later be ratified during the first Assembly of Delegate Members convened by the new administration.

Yuste will step down as interim president, will be re-appointed as vice president. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

That assembly is also expected to address several important issues concerning the club’s future.

In addition to the seven returning directors, several members of Laporta’s previous administration will continue in their roles.

They are: Elena Fort, Antonio Escudero, Ferran Olive, Xavier Barbany, Xavier Puig, Josep Maria Albert, Miquel Camps, Aureli Mas, and Joan Soler.

Alongside them, five new directors who were introduced during Laporta’s election campaign will officially join the board.

Who are the new faces?

Indeed, Laporta will welcome Carme Hortala, Carles Ayats, Xavier Barniol, Jaume Santiveri, and Jaume Nicolas to hsis new board.

One of the most significant additions is economist Hortala, who currently serves as president of Barcelona’s Economic Commission. That position will now pass to economist Oriol Amat.

She is expected to become a key figure within Barcelona’s strengthened economic department, an area Laporta intends to reinforce during this presidential term.

Laporta has added some new faces to his board of directors. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

Another notable appointment is Carles Ayats, who is well known within Barcelona circles, having been part of Jaume Ferrer’s presidential candidacy during the 2010 elections.

A successful property developer, Ayats is also expected to strengthen the club’s financial management team.

The remaining new directors all bring significant business experience. Xavier Barniol owns Berga Resort, a luxury camping resort located in Girona province, while also managing residential care homes for elderly people.

Jaume Santiveri is a senior executive in the real estate sector and manages several hotels in Castelldefels and Sitges.

Jaume Nicolas, an entrepreneur from Vilafranca del Penedès, has extensive experience in the automotive industry through ownership of the Nima Group, a network of vehicle dealerships.

Two new vice-presidents

Alongside the new appointments, Laporta will also redistribute responsibilities within the board.

Rafa Yuste will continue as First Vice President, maintaining responsibility for Barcelona’s sporting affairs. Elena Fort and Antonio Escudero will also remain vice presidents.

Two additional vice-presidential positions will now be filled: Joan Soler will become Vice President for Marketing and Ferran Olive will assume the role of Vice President for Economic Affairs.