Joan Laporta and Víctor Font have been officially confirmed as candidates for the presidency of FC Barcelona after passing the required threshold of valid signatures. Laporta received 7,226 valid signatures out of 8,170 submitted, while Font comfortably surpassed the minimum with 4,440 valid signatures from 5,144.
The surprise was Mark Ciria failing to meet the threshold, falling short by only 90 valid signatures. His team announced plans to appeal the result within three working days following the official announcement. The club’s electoral committee secretary explained that multiple levels of verification were conducted to validate every signature.
Font has expressed a desire to unite efforts for the club’s interest, hoping to make the election a kind of plebiscite. However, for now, Ciria’s priority lies in lodging an appeal to challenge the counting process.
At least two debates between the frontrunners are scheduled during the campaign period between March 6 and March 13 — one on the radio station RAC1 on March 9, and another on TV3 on March 12. Further sector-specific debates may follow, offering club members more detailed insight into candidates’ sporting, economic, and social programs.
These elections are crucial to Barcelona’s future, determining not only its political leadership but also strategic direction amid challenges both on and off the pitch.
