Who will continue (and who might return) to Barça if Laporta is re-elected as president?

Barcelona"Being a director at Barça is very tempting. You don't get paid for it, but it opens many doors and gives you social standing. It's so enticing that it's hard to leave." This reflection, from someone who has frequented both the VIP box and the executive offices at Camp Nou, resonates especially with elections approaching. The current president, Joan Laporta, is due to call them in the coming weeks. And as the ARA already published, their intention is not to wait too long. He envisions them before Easter and the decisive stretch of the season, with one weekend circled in yellow on the calendar: March 21-22, when Rayo Vallecano visits Camp Nou. Despite having until June 15, the Barça president is in favor of renewing his mandate at the polls, with all the titles still to be decided and a few months left to close the 2025-26 financial year.

The electoral process is approaching, and three members – Víctor Font, Marc Ciria, and Xavier Vilajoana – have already announced their pre-candidacies. There will be time to hear their proposals and see the profiles of those who support them. Meanwhile, Laporta must begin to determine which current board members he can count on if he is re-elected. Unlike the 2021 elections, this time he won't have to provide a guarantee of 10% of the budget to take office, so he'll have less need to recruit wealthy members to his cause. However, according to the bylaws, he must have a minimum of 14 board members to form a government. Five years ago, he came to power with 18, and now he has 16. During his term, two vice-presidents, Eduard Romeu and Juli Guiu, and the board member responsible for Espai Barça, Jordi Llauradó, have resigned. In return, a year ago he went to incorporate Sisco Pujol.

Eduard Romeu, tempted to return to being the economic strongman

Guiu and Llauradó left the party due to profound differences with Laporta's presidential style of governance. Guiu resigned after the president... decided to pay Darren Dein a commission of around 50 million. The first resignation was over the Nike contract, while the second had already spoken when the club awarded the Camp Nou renovations to Limak. Romeu, on the other hand, resigned because he needed time and money to start a new professional project. Almost two years after his farewell as Barça's economic vice-president, José Elías's former right-hand man at Audax has sorted out his situation and could return to the board. Laporta, with whom he has remained in contact, has asked him to join him again in the club's reconstruction, but Romeu, who is still involved with the club's foundation, is still considering it.

The president is exploring options for his board because he's not sure all the current top members will stay for a second term. The possibility of bringing Romeu back, in fact, stems from doubts about two technical profiles within the current administration, both of whom joined the cause after the members voted for Laporta in 2021. Right now, it's unclear whether Ferran Olivé will remain on the board. As treasurer and responsible for explaining the financials to members at recent online assemblies, he could step aside and focus on his own projects. Furthermore, if Romeu ends up returning, he would have another reason to resign from his board position. Meanwhile, Àngel Riudalbas, with a lot of work in his companies, is also considering whether to continue on the board. The executive in charge of the Barça Innovation Hub has gone from being very close to Laporta's inner circle to having a more discreet presence.

Elena Fort and the fight for the sports vice-presidency

There are other key figures who have been with Joan Laporta since day one. They form part of his inner circle, people the president trusts implicitly and who occupy strategic positions within the organizational structure. This includes Rafael Yuste, first vice president and the one who would assume the presidency should Laporta have any issues; Josep Cubells, board secretary; and Elena Fort, institutional vice president, spokesperson, and head of Espai Barça. Josep Ignasi Macià (social area) and Alfons Tito Castro (security area) are other traveling companions who were already present during the Barcelona lawyer's first term.

Among them, there are two who have been on the verge of leaving. One is Rafael Yuste, who received an offer from Saudi Arabia to be CEO of Al-Nassr. However, that was almost a year ago. The proposal is still on the table, but, for the moment, Yuste has not accepted it due to conflicts of interest with his company, although the current vice president has not completely ruled it out. In any case, his influence in this presidential term has diminished, so it wouldn't be surprising if he resigned from the vice presidency of sports. If confirmed, Joan Soler, the director responsible for youth football, would take over. In any case, in this area, no one will have more power than the president's former brother-in-law, Alejandro Echevarría.

In the Camp Nou offices, there has also been speculation about Maria Elena Fort's departure. The only woman on the board has felt the strain of a very intense term in her area, marked by delays in the Camp Nou renovation and the management of the Supporters' Zone. It is this latter case, due to the protests from the fans involved, that has caused the most headaches for the Barcelona lawyer, who has experienced uncomfortable and highly tense moments.

"Laporta has a very clear policy: if you're not happy, leave. Whether you're a board member, executive, or employee," sources at Aristides Maillol point out, predicting that he will be "short on board members" in elections that will most likely be formally called next week.