Laporta and Font Clash Over Deco, Flick and Yamal in Fiery Barcelona Election Debate

Barcelona’s presidential race ignited on Monday as incumbent Joan Laporta and challenger Víctor Font squared off in the campaign’s first head-to-head debate, trading barbs over the club’s sporting future less than two weeks before the 15 March vote.

The sharpest exchanges centred on three names that could define the next era at Camp Nou: sporting director Deco, head coach Hansi Flick and teenage star Lamine Yamal.

Font, runner-up in 2021, argued that Barcelona’s sporting structure needs an urgent overhaul. He proposed dismantling the current single-director model by replacing Deco with a three-man technical secretariat: Carles Planchart, Albert Puig and Francesc Cos. Font described the trio as architects of past Barça triumphs and claimed their collective expertise would give Flick the institutional backbone he requires.

“With this experience we will have a structure that does not exist right now,” Font told the audience. “Flick is delighted here and has a contract. We’re working on a structure that provides him with what he asks for – stability and signings.”

Font insisted the squad is already “top-level” and capable of challenging for every trophy, while conceding that targeted reinforcements are still necessary. “The sporting director will have to address this. They’ll explain it,” he added.

Lorta fired back, calling Font’s plan a direct affront to Deco’s record. “To say that these three people know more than Deco is an insult,” the president countered, ranking the Portuguese alongside legendary sporting director Txiki Begiristain. He warned that removing Deco would jeopardise the competitive, youthful squad already assembled.

“If you put Flick at risk without Deco, you’d ruin a project that inspires hope. The team Flick has is thanks to Deco,” Laporta said. “Flick has said he’s happy with Deco, and if they remove him, he won’t be. You have to be happy, and that’s not easy.”

The debate pivoted to youth development when Laporta highlighted his refusal of a €250 million offer from Paris Saint-Germain for 17-year-old winger Lamine Yamal, whose contract runs until 2031. “It’s one of the things I’m most proud of,” Laporta declared.

Font immediately shot back: “Do you know who signed him? Albert Puig,” name-checking the same man he wants to install in his proposed technical trio.

With ballots set to be cast in under a fortnight, the row over Deco’s role, Flick’s environment and Yamal’s valuation has crystallised the broader question facing Barcelona members: continuity under Laporta or structural revolution under Font.