FC Barcelona is already fully immersed in the presidential election campaign. Joan Laporta and Víctor Font, the two candidates who managed to gather the required signatures, faced each other in the first official debate before Sunday’s vote.
The confrontation featured direct criticism, political tension and an intense discussion about the club’s sporting direction. Figures such as Hansi Flick, Deco, Xavi Hernández and Lionel Messi were repeatedly mentioned throughout the debate.
Laporta defends the current project and criticizes Xavi
One of the most notable moments came when Laporta addressed the previous coaching era under Xavi Hernández.
The current president argued that the arrival of Hansi Flick proved the team needed a change on the bench. According to Laporta, the same group of players that struggled under Xavi are now performing much better with the German coach.
Laporta also suggested that Xavi had allowed himself to become part of the electoral narrative during the campaign.
He strongly defended the continuity of the current sporting structure, insisting that his project includes keeping Flick as head coach and Deco as sporting director, arguing that the current model is working and should not be dismantled.
Heated exchanges between Laporta and Font
The debate also produced moments of clear tension between the two candidates.
Laporta accused Víctor Font of misleading members about his plans over the years and warned that his rival’s project could destabilize the club’s sporting direction.
The current president also criticized Font for not presenting clear names for his sporting structure while praising Deco, whom he described as one of the best sporting directors in Barcelona’s history.
Font responded sharply, accusing Laporta of running the club without enough transparency and of damaging relationships with important historical figures such as Messi and Xavi.
Messi’s name returns to the political debate
Another topic that resurfaced during the debate was the club’s relationship with Lionel Messi.
Font claimed that Messi shares a similar view to the one expressed by Xavi regarding the internal functioning of the club.
He criticized Laporta for allowing the relationship with the Argentine legend to deteriorate and argued that Barcelona would be stronger if it rebuilt ties with the greatest player in the club’s history.
Two very different visions for Barça
Beyond the personal attacks, the debate highlighted two clearly different visions for the future of the club.
Laporta defended his presidency by recalling that five years ago Barcelona was facing a severe financial crisis and that the club now has a competitive sporting project and a new stadium under development.
Font, on the other hand, insisted that the club needs a new management model with a more professional structure across the first team and other sporting sections.
With the elections scheduled for March 15, the debate made it clear that the battle for the presidency of FC Barcelona will be one of the most intense in recent years.
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