Published 10/02/2026. By Michel Duran. Joan Laporta resigned as president of FC Barcelona on Monday in order to stand in the forthcoming elections. His right‑hand man, Rafa Yuste, who previously served as sporting vice‑president, has taken over as acting president and will lead the club until a new president is elected.
Yuste made his first public remarks as interim president at La Nit de la Ràdio, an event organised by Cadena SER on Monday night. During that appearance he outlined his short‑term priorities while the club is between administrations.
He said the primary objective is to maintain the direction the club has been following and to continue delivering maximum joy to members, emphasising continuity in the club’s course until the electoral process concludes.
Yuste declined to engage with provocative comments from Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa related to the Negreira matter, indicating he does not want outside disputes to distract Barcelona from its internal work.
He stressed that his focus is on Barcelona itself: listening to key figures within the sporting department and offering full support to coach Hansi Flick, his staff, as well as to Deco and Bojan. That, he said, is where the administration’s attention will remain.
On sporting prospects such as the Champions League, Yuste avoided speculation, explaining that his immediate concentration is on the upcoming trip to Madrid on Thursday and on taking matters one step at a time.
