Joan Laporta wins re-election as president of Barcelona by a significant margin.
Joan Laporta has been re-elected as president of Barcelona for the upcoming five years after defeating Victor Font in the election held on Sunday.
Laporta secured a decisive victory in the end. With 36,117 of the 48,400 votes cast counted, he held an unassailable lead with 24,643 votes.
The overall number of votes cast indicated a turnout of 42.34%, according to Barça, with 114,504 members eligible to participate in the election.
Current and former presidents, coaches, and players were among those who cast their votes at Spotify Camp Nou, including Hansi Flick and members of the men’s first team.
The election on Sunday coincided with Barça’s 5-2 victory over Sevilla in LaLiga, with coach Flick and several players, including Raphinha, Pedri, and Dani Olmo, casting their votes after the match.
“I won’t disclose who [I will vote for] because it’s confidential,” Flick stated in a press conference shortly before voting. “It’s a significant day. I watched it on television in my office at the stadium; the election is happening, it’s special. I believe everyone is pleased; it was a fantastic day.”
Earlier, goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who is currently on loan at Girona, experienced an awkward moment when he was unable to vote due to his name not being on the electoral register.
All Barça players are automatically made members upon joining the club, but it is their duty to update their membership, which the German international had not done prior to the election.
Injured Barça Femení players Aitana Bonmatí and Laia Aleixandri also participated in the voting, although most of their teammates were unable to do so as they played away at Deportivo de La Coruña on Sunday.
Former Barça coach Xavi Hernández also cast his vote—just days after labeling Laporta a “liar” regarding his involvement in Lionel Messi’s unsuccessful return to the club in 2023—along with ex-Inter Miami CF midfielder Sergio Busquets. Spotify Camp Nou was one of five polling locations established for the day, with members also able to vote in Tarragona, Girona, Lleida, and Andorra.
The outcome mirrors that of 2021, when Laporta also convincingly defeated Font to succeed Josep Maria Bartomeu as president of Barça.
This marked the beginning of Laporta’s second term at the helm of the club. He previously served as president from 2003 to 2010, during which he oversaw the appointment of Pep Guardiola and the club’s first Treble in 2009, before returning to the position 11 years later.
Since his return, Barça has secured two LaLiga titles, while the women’s team has claimed three Champions League titles, but it is the achievements of the men’s team under Flick that formed the foundation of his campaign.
Flick guided Barça to a domestic treble last season—LaLiga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Supercopa—and a first Champions League semifinal appearance since 2019, while they remain well-positioned in both LaLiga and the Champions League this season.
Meanwhile, Laporta has undertaken the renovation of Spotify Camp Nou, with the first two tiers of the updated stadium fully operational for the first time against Sevilla on Sunday, increasing the capacity to over 60,000 as work continues on the third tier.
Font aimed to persuade members to support him by asserting that the club’s financial condition has not improved under Laporta—who contends that it has—that the return to Spotify Camp Nou has faced repeated delays, and due to the manner in which the president handled Messi’s departure.
