Joan Laporta preaches Barcelona stability at presidential rally

Sitges, Spain – Under cloudless skies at the Hotel Port Sitges Resort, Joan Laporta brought his campaign trail to the Catalan coast on Saturday night, urging more than 200 socis to entrust him with a second spell as Barcelona president. Speaking beneath a banner that read “We Defend Barça,” the 57-year-old lawyer framed the upcoming election as a choice between hard-won stability and what he termed “inexperienced hands.”

The rally carried a symbolic flourish: Alejandro Sacristán, son of former player and coach Eusebio Sacristán, presented Laporta with a replica of the commemorative tile that will soon be mounted in the Passatge Johan Cruyff alongside tributes to Cruyff himself and Eusebio. The gesture, greeted by sustained applause, underlined Laporta’s effort to cast himself as the natural heir to the club’s most revered figures.

Addressing members seated around the resort’s outdoor terrace, Laporta delivered a confident audit of his previous tenure and the current board’s record. “The club is objectively and indisputably better than five years ago,” he declared, citing a financial turnaround, renewed institutional credibility and a return to global relevance. He credited “relentless work, courageous decisions and a team that has always put the crest above any other interest.”

The former president reserved sharp words for his challengers, warning that unfinished projects—most notably the ongoing redevelopment of Spotify Camp Nou—could stall if leadership changes. “The club must not fall into inexperienced hands,” he said, without naming rivals Víctor Font, Marc Ciria or Xavier Vilajoana. Laporta also pledged to protect “democracy, freedom and Catalan culture,” themes that have long anchored his political messaging inside the club.

Outside the Laporta camp, the opposition remains fragmented. Attempts to coalesce behind a single candidate have faltered, leaving the incumbent well placed to capitalise on a divided electorate. Som un Clam, a prominent Barcelona supporters’ group, released internal polling indicating that roughly one third of members back Laporta, one third are openly critical and the final third are undecided. With no joint ticket in sight, the risk of vote-splitting among anti-Laporta factions appears high.

Font, who continues to position himself as the modernising alternative, told a recent gathering: “There are two types of barcelonismo: the ‘personalist’ model and the alternative model many members have in mind.” He argues that every precandidate except Laporta is committed to “professionalising and modernising the club,” and renewed his call for unity. “It makes perfect sense for us to come together,” Font insisted, though talks have yet to produce an agreement.

As the race enters its final stretch, Laporta’s itinerary is expected to take him to several Catalan towns where socis hold decisive voting blocs. With the opposition still scrambling to find common ground, the path back to the presidency looks increasingly clear for the man who last held the office during Barcelona’s golden era.