Power shifts in Joan Laporta's inner circle

BarcelonaA year ago, at the meeting with journalists to privately explain Barça's figures, two members of the club were present: director and treasurer Ferran Olivé and executive Manel del Río, director of the corporate area. Both spent a morning presenting the conclusions and answering the many questions from those present, even exceeding the allotted time. After the meeting ended, some journalists commented in the corridors. the good impression that Olivé had made on them for his ability to didactically explain economic issues (despite his medical profession) without hesitating when asked questions.

Thus, those present were not surprised that Olivé enjoyed prominence at the delegate members' assembly held a few weeks later. However, in recent meetings between the club and journalists, only Manel del Río has repeated. Sources within Barça's elite admit to ARA that Olivé has been seen less frequently in Aristides Maillol's offices lately. It is clear that Olivé, president of the Hestia Alliance group, has lost relevance at Barça in recent months, despite the fact that he continues to report directly to Laporta as treasurer in the executive organization chart.

Saudi Arabia is interested in Yuste

Olivé's position at Barça isn't the only one that has lost strength among the board members in recent months. Rafa Yuste's position, the senior vice president of sport, is also in question. Especially since he has received interest from Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia in acquiring his services. Cristiano Ronaldo's team, according to reports,Sport, wants him as CEO. Barça assures ARA that if Yuste ultimately decides to leave, Laporta, his lifelong friend, will not be an obstacle. The Confidential, has also reportedly knocked on the door of Óscar Mayo, the current general director of business and operations at Atlético de Madrid and, previously, Javier Tebas's right-hand man in La Liga. He has lost his vice president of economics, Eduard Romeu; his vice president of marketing, Juli Guiu; and Jordi Llauradó, the executive in charge of Espai Barça.

The importance of an old friend from Laporta's political days

The night of November 29, 2010, wasn't entirely happy for Laporta, despite the fact that Barça had beaten Real Madrid 5-0 24 hours earlier. "Now you should go talk to Artur Mas to make a deal," people close to him advised after winning four seats in the Catalan elections leading the Catalan Solidarity for Independence coalition. "No, I won't," Laporta replied. Within that coalition was the political party he created when his first term at Barça ended, Catalan Democracy. Laporta's political adventure ended some time later, but some ties from that time remain strong.

This is the case with César Martínez, then treasurer of Catalan Democracy and currently a key player in Barça's purchasing department. "Everything goes through him and he has always been a trusted person of Laporta's," sources with influence at the club told ARA. Martínez arrived at Barça in March 2022 to reinforce the work of Maribel Meléndez, who was then the corporate director. Meléndez's departure in February 2024 meant that Martínez's responsibilities expanded, to the point where they now have their current central importance. But the bond between Laporta and Martínez dates back even before the political era. Specifically, to Laporta's first term at Barça. According to the representative Bayram Tutumlu, whoHe denounced the current leader for non-payment of an intermediation with Uzbekistan,Martínez received €180,000 from the Asian country under a package of agreements that Laporta admitted in court.

Now, Martínez is the right-hand man of Joan Sentelles, another old friend of Laporta, in Barça's purchasing department. Both have a lot of power when it comes to making decisions about Barça's most important project of the 21st century: the remodeling of Camp Nou. Martínez was also one of the people in charge of Barça Mobile, the club's new mobile operator. This project was surrounded by controversy because it was partly based on in a meeting between the Catalan company Parlem and the Barcelona club during February 2024However, on November 21 of that same year, the club announced that Barça Mobile would be a reality through New Era Visionary Group, a company based in the United Arab Emirates, owned by Moldovan businessman Ruslan Birladeanu, which opened its subsidiary in Barcelona a few weeks after the meeting between Barça and Parlem on April 3.