Joan Laporta has announced his resignation as president of FC Barcelona on Monday, February 9, 2026, to run in the upcoming elections on March 15. The election is widely expected to be a formality, with the current president poised to win convincingly and overshadow any rivals who manage to gather the necessary signatures to become candidates. Among those expected to challenge Laporta is Víctor Font, described as a perennial underdog in Catalan politics.
Looking back at his second term, a positive development for Laporta came after initially prolonging Koeman’s tenure – at the request of the Cruyff family – and then yielding to pressure to appoint Xavi, despite his own reservations. Laporta has successfully defined his third sporting project since first becoming president in 2003. Following the approaches with Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola, he’s now secured Hansi Flick, bringing a recognizable and often winning style of play back to the team, exciting the fanbase. With Lamine Yamal emerging as a star and La Masia continuing to develop talent, Laporta has achieved what many consider to be the most crucial element in securing the support of Barcelona’s members.
Though, Laporta’s second term has also been marked by a long list of controversies: shameful irregularities in the stadium construction; frequent accusations of lies, false statements, and questionable business dealings, particularly in Asia; the fallout from the Negreira case, the largest sporting corruption scandal in Spain since the restoration of democracy; and an overall damaging management style that has burdened Barcelona with debt for decades, depleted the club’s assets, and pushed it to the brink of financial collapse. The extent to which Laporta has strained the club’s resources is unprecedented, as is his apparent disregard for the consequences. What he calls “recovery” is, according to critics, a reckless race towards further debt and potential bankruptcy.
Despite detailed reporting on these issues, no legal challenges have yet been successful against Laporta. However, the opposition, led by Víctor Font, appears to be misreading the situation, running again despite clear indications that he lacks public support. Beyond a poorly received campaign that has been widely mocked, Font has failed to unite the other opposition candidates – a critical misstep in a club where the first to reach the finish line wins, and losing candidates cannot combine their results to overtake the leader.
Joan Laporta i Estruch (Barcelona, 1962) is expected to win the upcoming elections, the last consecutive elections he is eligible to contest. This anticipated victory comes despite his controversial management and the financial challenges facing the club, coupled with a weak opposition that has failed to demonstrate political acumen or financial commitment – notably, by not funding an independent international investigation into the president’s dealings.
