Víctor Font is having another go at the presidency of FC Barcelona, five years after losing out to Joan Laporta. This time, he insists the issue is bigger than personalities. In a recent interview, he sat down to present his “Nosaltres” platform. The businessman from Granollers framed his candidacy as an attempt to change how the club is run at its core.
“I want to offer the members a different way of managing the club, far from the ‘personalist’ model that has prevailed since the 1980s,” Font said.
He argues that concentrating power in one office has repeatedly left Barça exposed, financially and institutionally, and has gradually pushed members to the margins. His answer is a more professional structure with independent oversight and statutory reform aimed at tightening controls.
Font is the most visible, but not only, opponent to outgoing president Joan Laporta, who is running to become president again. Laporta is widely seen as the most likely winner as things stand.
The timing of Font’s remarks was delicate. News had just emerged that a club member had filed a complaint with Spain’s Audiencia Nacional (a special court) against Laporta and several executives, alleging financial crimes. The club reacted quickly, denying the accusations and dismissing them as baseless.
Font said he did not know the content of the complaint and would not speculate on it, but he did not miss the chance to widen the focus. “Suspicion disappears very quickly if you are transparent,” he said. Even so, he made clear he would not pursue court action himself. “We belong to a state that has normally gone against the interests of our beloved club, and I believe the path of trials, lawyers, and prosecutors does not work.”
Meanwhile, economist Xavier Sala i Martín, a long-time ally of Laporta and former club treasurer, publicly suggested he suspected Font of being behind the complaint and challenged him to prove otherwise. The temperature of the campaign seems to be rising.
On football matters, Font named Hansi Flick as a priority. He spoke of stability and trust from the sporting department, which he wants to reshape with figures such as Albert Puig, Carles Planchart, and Francesc Cos. Current sporting director Deco, he noted, has done a good job under Laporta. That could be an example, Font argued, of someone the next president keeps, regardless of who that president is. According to him, the structure of the club should exist beyond the president.
Font also outlined a broader executive framework, with distinct leadership in the sports, business, and social departments. He set ambitious financial targets, talking about €1.6 billion in revenue and annual profits between €150 and €200 million to chip away at a debt he places at roughly €2.5 billion. Among the projects he wants to safeguard is the new Palau Blaugrana, the indoor arena where basketball and other sports are played, which his team estimates could cost around €380 million and open in early 2030.
Season-ticket pricing came up as well. Font promised there would be no increase and instead proposed incentives for regular attendance. “We want to encourage members to attend matches. There will be no increase in season tickets, on the contrary, they will pay less,” he said, floating discounts for those who attend at least 80 percent of games.
Font has once again, made Lionel Messi a part of his campaign. The candidate described him as “the only footballer who can decide a match on his own” and presented a plan that stretches beyond a testimonial night.
He wants Messi to become honorary president, a symbolic position once held briefly by Johan Cruyff. Commercially, he envisions a joint Barça-Messi brand with global reach, pointing to partnerships in other sports as proof of concept and suggesting the revenue potential could run into “hundreds or thousands of millions.” There would also be conversations with Inter Miami CF, where Messi is under contract.
Font spoke openly about “a last dance” at Camp Nou as a player for the GOAT, of course depending on Messi’s wishes and the view of the coaching staff. He did not hide where he thinks responsibility lies for how the previous departure unfolded. “The only way Messi can say goodbye the way he and Barça deserve is if Laporta is not governing from March 16 onwards,” he said.
Laporta’s falling out with Messi has been an open secret for a long time, stretching to when the Argentine left Barcelona in 2021 with Laporta as president.
Font confirmed that conversations have taken place. “We have spoken directly with Messi. These are private conversations. Nobody should use Leo for electoral purposes.”
