Joan Laporta and Victor Font clash in fiery last debate before Barcelona President is elected

Barcelona’s two presidential finalists, Joan Laporta and Víctor Font, traded incendiary charges on Thursday night in what is expected to be their final public confrontation before 150,000 eligible club members decide the club’s leadership for the next five years. Ballots will be cast on Sunday, coinciding with the first-team’s La Liga meeting with Sevilla at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

Laporta, seeking a record fourth mandate, framed the election as a referendum on continuity and stability, warning that only his re-election guarantees head coach Hansi Flick’s future. Font, runner-up in 2021, countered that Barcelona’s economic fragility under Laporta endangers long-term sustainability and the very identity of the institution.

The debate, moderated by club media, quickly turned acrimonious. Laporta opened on the offensive, branding Font “a technocrat who works behind a computer” and accusing him of peddling falsehoods to dismantle the incumbent board’s achievements. He defended the delayed Camp Nou reconstruction, insisting the roof will be completed by 2028 and promising that 80 % of the new stadium capacity will be reserved for season-ticket holders, with an additional 5,000 supporters joining the waiting list. Non-members, he added, will receive a 50 % discount on general-admission tickets.

Font retorted that ordinary fans have been priced out, arguing that the current economic model relies on tourism at the expense of loyal socios. “A member who wants to go to a match has to spend a fortune,” he said, portraying Sunday’s vote as a choice between “a model of confrontation” and an “unstoppable Barça” that values its grassroots.

The pair diverged sharply on sporting structure. Laporta lauded sporting director Deco for rejuvenating the squad and safeguarding Flick’s project, claiming Deco has outperformed predecessor Mateu Alemany. Font questioned Deco’s credentials, alleging his primary qualification is a business partnership with Laporta’s unofficial advisor and brother-in-law, Alejandro Echevarría—who resigned from the board in 2021 after revelations of his patronage of the Francisco Franco Foundation. “We can’t have fascists at Barcelona,” Font declared.

Laporta dismissed Font’s assertion that the club is negotiating a first-refusal agreement for Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, calling it “a complete lie” and citing a denial from the player’s agent, Rafaela Pimenta. Font maintained that such an option is being pursued for when the Norwegian seeks a new challenge.

The ghost of Lionel Messi loomed large. Font pledged to offer the Argentine icon honorary presidency and vowed to let Flick and the sporting director decide how Messi’s career should end at Barça, branding any suggestion that Messi belongs to the past as “belittling the best player in history.” Laporta, whose relationship with Messi soured after the captain’s 2021 departure, reiterated that the forward deserves a statue but insisted fans prefer to focus on present ambitions rather than “using” the legend for political gain.

Opinion polls show Laporta entering election day as the heavy favourite, yet Font’s camp believes their candidate’s composed performance in the debate—against a veteran orator—has narrowed the gap. With ballots accepted until 20:00 CET on Sunday, the victor will inherit a club navigating delicate finances, an ongoing stadium overhaul, and the expectation of returning to European prominence.

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