Marc Ciria was denied participation in the Barcelona presidential elections after the Catalan Sports Tribunal dismissed his appeal against the club's electoral board decision — despite acknowledging insufficient time was given to verify some disputed signatures.
In March 2026, Ciria, leader of Moviment 42, sought official candidate status by submitting at least 2,337 valid endorsements. He presented 2,845 signatures, of which only 2,247 were validated — approximately 21% were rejected mainly because some lacked photocopies of ID documents. As a result, he fell short by 90 signatures.
According to article 48.5 of the club statutes, the electoral board should have granted him an additional three days to verify the 375 dubious signatures, but this was not provided. The Tribunal agreed the timeframe was insufficient and deemed part of the verification process unfounded yet confirmed that, without the power to overrule the electoral board, Ciria was unable to prove the validity of the signatures and therefore was not entitled to candidacy.
Before reaching the tribunal, Ciria challenged the decision first at the Catalan Football Federation and then at the Catalan Sports Tribunal, which accepted the case in May and ruled it in July. The candidate confirmed he does not intend to request a rerun of the elections, emphasizing his goal was to highlight an outdated verification system needing modernization.
Joan Laporta, the election winner on March 15, officially assumed the presidency on July 1. Ciria is expected to comment publicly in the coming days regarding the tribunal ruling and his future steps.
Ciria's case spotlighted internal club procedures, reflecting tensions and calls for greater transparency and efficiency in leadership elections. His stance underscores the gap between traditional regulations and modern demands, potentially prompting reforms in the near future.
