Barcelona presidential candidate with savage assessment of Joan Laporta's tenure

Martin Macdonald

• Updated: 27 Nov 2025 09:31 CST
• 4 min read

Nieuws

Barcelona presidential candidate Xavi Vilajoana has some harsh words for current president Joan Laporta and believes the man in charge at Camp Nou has made some "insane" decisions during his tenure.

The Barcelona presidential elections could come as early as April of 2026 and Laporta finds himself up against the likes of Vilajoana, Joan Camprubi Montal, Marc Ciria and Victor Font.

He has been in charge of the Blaugrana during a tumultuous period as the club has dealt with major financial issues, the costly refurbishment of the Camp Nou and, of course, the much-criticised departure of legendary player Lionel Messi, which still leaves a bad taste in the mouth for some.

With any election, candidates need to make promises to the voters in order to gain those votes, and key to Laporta's campaign has been a promise to sign Manchester City striker Erling Haaland in 2026.

A few months ago, Spanish outlet El Nacional reported that the Barca supremo was "obsessed" with signing the Norwegian superstar.

This is despite the fact that Haaland signed a nine-year contract with Man City last year, is on mega money at the Etihad and would cost at least €150 million.

Vilajoana's Barcelona promises

Vilajoana, meanwhile, is focused more on the infrastructure of Barcelona and wants the famed La Masia academy to produce superstars of Haaland's level rather than risk another crippling deal that would harm club finances.

On Thursday, he unveiled his campaign for the presidency with the slogan "Ready to recover our Barca".

Speaking at the event, he savagely criticised Laporta's presidency and promised to pledge funds back to the aspects of Barca that matter, in his opinion:

“I have been working for the club for 21 years, both as a football and futsal player and then as a board member under three presidents [Laporta, Sandro Rosell and Josep Bartomeu]. I am optimistic and I will give it my all; the game has begun and it's going to be a long one,. You can’t run the club behind the backs of its members, its owners. We have a captain who’s sailing without a plan; everything is mired in complete improvisation.

“If I am elected president, I will freeze season ticket prices until Camp Nou is finished. The members must come first. We can dedicate 40 million euros to this within a one billion euro budget. I have a plan to increase sponsorship revenue by 30%. We will promote La Masia, our greatest asset, whose budget Laporta has decided to cut by 37%. Our Haaland isn't at City, he's at La Masia. It pains me to see the state of the other sections. I was captain of one of them (futsal) and I know how important they are; they are part of our identity... Women's sports will be represented in all sections if I win.

“I want to do what's best for Barcelona. I don't know what will happen in the future, but I'm convinced that my project is very strong. What I am clear about is that the sums must be complementary. I'm not against anyone, I'm for Barca. Going against everything doesn't help. Being president of Barca isn't about handing out positions.

“Laporta’s management is insane. This isn’t about sweeping things under the rug, but about making sure those responsible pay the price. The auditor will determine if there have been any illegal actions. And if they have harmed the club, they must be reported.

“I try not to listen to this president because he doesn’t contribute anything to my life. He disrespects the members.

"The current image of Barcelona; the club deserves much more.”

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