Barcelona has officially confirmed 15th March as the day their presidential elections will be held. This official announcement comes after several candidates aspiring to replace the current president, Joan Laporta, are actively criticizing him.
Barcelona, as a member-owned club, holds its elections every 5 years. Normally, Laporta, in whose favour the 2021 election was decided, would need to stand for election before the end of June. Nevertheless, the club is now letting the world know that the vote will be taken ahead of schedule and will be along the lines of their home league game versus Sevilla at Camp Nou.
Laporta has argued in favour of the decision, claiming that it is most important to have a leadership in place before the summer market so that the club can figure out what to do ahead of time and give the players and staff the opportunity to understand the club’s philosophy.
Otherwise, the president’s adversaries have challenged the date of the elections. Several candidates have insinuated that Laporta wants to get the most out of the positive atmosphere among fans as Barcelona are at the top of La Liga and had just beaten Real Madrid in the Super Cup. They pointed out that an election when things are going well could influence voters and be unfair to the electoral process.
Among the candidates for the presidency were Marc Ciria, Victor Font, and Xavier Vilajoana, who all agreed and at the same time said they are ready for the election. Besides, they urged for the election to be organised in such a way that it allows as many of the club members to participate because they see it as a turning point for Barcelona’s new strategy.
