Joan Laporta's situation explained as 63-year-old resigns as Barcelona president

Joan Laporta has resigned as president of Barcelona but will stand in the new elections in March.

Vice President for Institutional Affairs, Elena Fort, Vice President for Social Affairs, Antonio Escudero have also submitted their resignations to participate in the electoral process, in addition to directors Ferran Olive, Josep Maria Albert, Javier Barbany, Miquel Camps, Aureli Mas, Javier Puig, and Joan Soler.

A statement from Barcelona read: “In accordance with Article 42.f of the FC Barcelona Statutes, President Joan Laporta has resigned from his position in order to be able to stand for election to the Board of Directors, which will be held on March 15.

“This resignation was formalised at the Board of Directors’ regular meeting held this Monday, at which the election announcement was officially published.”

Rafa Yuste will be taking over as interim president until the end of June.

Laporta stands down as Barcelona president

“I leave with pride and by statutory imperative. We leave with the pride that Barça is better than five years ago," Laporta said in a statement.

“We have made difficult decisions, but we are proud of the ones we have made, some have been painful, but they have always been to protect the club

"Also to push forward the Spotify Camp Nou, it was not easy given the moment in which the club was, but the strength of the shield is enormous.

“It is the most important heritage project in the history of the club, it is a reality and has allowed us to gain the credibility of investors, members, and the world of football."

Laporta will re-stand in election on March 15

Laporta also thanked his board and members of his team for their work.

“Thanks to them, a fundamental stability has been maintained to save the club. If we had not made some decisions, the club would have collapsed, and this has not been the case," he said.

“They have given us the confidence we needed, with understanding for the move to Montjuic, for the preparation of the templates.

“I also want to thank the players, we have already won many titles, some resist us, but we leave them for the next few years if the members vote for us. Successes will come.”

Laporta will face competition for the presidency from Victor Font, Marc Ciria, Xavier Vilajoana and Joan Camprubi.

The 63-year-old was initially Barcelona president between 2003 and 2010 before being elected for a second spell in 2021.