Joan Laporta has labeled his rival Victor Font as the "only risk" to the current sporting project at FC Barcelona. This statement arrives as the club prepares for upcoming elections, with Font countering that the current board is hiding €80m in losses. The fight for the presidency has moved from boardrooms to public shouting matches, while the club relies on accounting loopholes to register new players like Dani Olmo.
ACCUSATIONS OF SABOTAGE AND HOLLOW POCKETS
The incumbent president claims Font is "destabilizing" the team mid-season by demanding immediate elections. Laporta insists his previous term’s work is being undermined by "lies" and "inappropriate remarks."
"The other candidate has focused on talking about me, trying to lend credibility to those who wanted to undermine the electoral process." — Joan Laporta
Font, however, points to a jagged financial reality:
Claims of €80m in concealed deficits.
Accusations that Laporta’s "recklessness" endangers the club's very fabric.
Demand for a vote "as soon as possible" to restore transparency.
Criticism of a sporting project that allegedly "hallucinates" while failing to register its own squad members without exploiting injury rules.
THE TALENT DRAIN
The internal circle around Laporta is showing cracks. Jaume Guardiola, a significant figure for investor confidence, has defected to Victor Font's camp. This move is seen as a blow to the current administration's ability to hold its "inner circle" together as the Camp Nou reopening approaches. Furthermore, club legend Xavi Hernandez has publicly backed Font, a move Laporta dismissed as "not surprising" due to their past ties.
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| FACTOR | LAPORTA'S NARRATIVE | FONT'S NARRATIVE |
|---|---|---|
| Finances | Stability through "levers" and new deals. | Hiding €80m in losses; unsustainable. |
| Sporting | Project is sound; rivals cause chaos. | Mismanagement hurts player registration. |
| Support | Defends those "running things." | Backed by Xavi and Jaume Guardiola. |
| Strategy | Comparing previous success to current "lies." | Urgency for transparency. |
THE REGISTRATION LOOPHOLE
While the giants argue, the actual football depends on the health of the infirmary. The club managed to register Dani Olmo only because Andreas Christensen suffered a long-term injury. This "quirk" in league rules is the thin thread holding the squad together. Meanwhile, young players like Marc Bernal have provided brief moments of sporting relief, scoring his first goal against Mallorca after a period of limited minutes under manager Hansi Flick.
THE BACKGROUND OF THE FEUD
The friction between Laporta and Font is a hangover from the 2021 elections. Laporta won that round by promising to keep Lionel Messi—a promise that shattered weeks later. Since then, the club has operated in a state of permanent emergency, selling off future media rights and assets (levers) to fund immediate transfers.
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Laporta views himself as the savior who stopped the club's disappearance.
Font views Laporta as a populist whose "reckless" deals are selling the club’s future for a fragile present.
The next election cycle, stretching into 2026, looks to be a referendum on whether these financial gambles were worth the risk or if the "hidden losses" will finally force a total collapse of the current model.