FC Barcelona News: 9 February 2026; Presidential elections begin, Marc Bernal offer revealed

Barcelona entered a pivotal week on Monday as presidential elections officially opened at Camp Nou, while fresh details emerged of the winter efforts to keep emerging midfielder Marc Bernal in Catalonia.

The club confirmed that the Board of Directors will convene on Monday to formalise the resignation of those directors seeking re-election, the first procedural step in a vote that could shape the governance of the institution for the next six years. With incumbent Joan Laporta yet to declare whether he will stand, the election timetable is expected to accelerate once resignations are accepted.

Off the pitch, Bernal’s decision to remain a Barça player was revealed to have hinged on a personal intervention from coach Hansi Flick. According to Marca, the German told the 18-year-old to “stay put, stay calm, work and everything will come little by little.” The pep talk paid dividends: Bernal stayed, and on Saturday he opened his senior account for the club in the 3-1 victory over Real Mallorca.

That win kept Barcelona at the summit of La Liga, but Real Madrid trimmed the lead to a single point on Sunday by defeating Valencia 2-0, goals coming from Alvaro Carreras and Kylian Mbappe.

Barça’s sporting staff returned to training on Sunday, yet Raphinha continued to work in isolation as he recovers from an overload. The Brazilian winger has not appeared since the Copa victory over Ceuta three weeks ago.

The club’s resolve to retain Bernal was underlined by a January approach from Galatasaray. Football Espana reports that the Turkish giants tabled a €30 million bid for the academy product, only to be told instantly that the player was not for sale.

Elsewhere, former La Masia prospect Dro Fernandez debuted for Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s Le Classique against Marseille. PSG’s social-media team greeted the 19-year-old with a pointed video captioned “You are loved here!”, a message interpreted in Spain as a reminder to Barcelona of what slipped away.

In a weekend interview with Marca, Laporta addressed the strained relationship with Madrid, citing “constant discomfort” during the aborted European Super League project. “The relationship with Real Madrid is not good,” he admitted, while also pointing to record revenues and falling debt as evidence that the club’s finances are “on the mend”.

With elections now under way, members must decide whether continuity or change offers the best path to restore silverware and solvency.