Barcelona set date for elections of new president

The presidential elections at Barcelona are set to take place on Sunday 17 January, according to a report in La Vanguardia.

It is said by the report that the date would allow the current interim board to negotiate and facilitate a first-team signing in the January transfer window.

The resignation of former club supremo Josep Maria Bartomeu was confirmed last month and Carlos Tusquets is the current interim president of the Blaugrana.

Tusquets now must analyse the financial situation at the club and decide how to proceed with the proposed wage cuts but will not run for the elections himself.

It must be remembered that under the context of the pandemic, voting could be extended to more than one day and that locations are distributed geographically to comply with health regulations in order to avoid contagion.

As per ESPN Deportes, there are six confirmed candidates for the election, of which Victor Font is said to be the early favourite for the position.

The five others who have officially announced their intentions to stand for the post are Jordi Farré, Toni Freixa, Lluís Fernández Alá, Agustí Benedito and Pere Riera.

Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has previously confirmed he will also be running but is not yet included in the final list as he is yet to finalise his intentions.

Laporta – club president between 2003 and 2010 – lost out to previous incumbent Bartomeu in the 2015 elections, in the wake of Barca winning the treble.

He has frequently voiced his opposition to the club’s current board and recently added his signature to the Vote of Censorship against the club’s board in order to attempt to force through an early change.

Laporta served as MP in the Parliament of Catalonia between 2010 and 2012 and is also a qualified lawyer.

Former vice president Emili Rousaud and former prominent member Xavi Vilajoana are also considering putting their names in the hat.

Meanwhile, the former president of the Catalan Football Federation Jordi Roche – closely linked to former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell – and the businessman Juan Rosell may also be included.

Each candidate will need the signature approval of at least 2,257 members and to present a guaranteed payment of at least €124.2m to be considered.