Victor Font, Barcelona presidential candidate
Photo by LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images
In recent weeks, Victor Font appears to have truly kick-started the upcoming Barcelona presidential election fight between him and Joan Laporta.
Font, who was the runner-up in the 2021 elections, has launched his new cross-party platform, ‘Nosaltres’, marking a distinct shift in strategy.
In a shift from his conciliatory tone in his previous campaign, Font is going out on a blistering offensive against current President Joan Laporta.
In a recent interview with Que t’hi Jugues (h/t AS), Font criticised Laporta and his handling of various events at Barcelona, including Messi’s exit. He also talked about the Super League and Real Madrid’s growing influence.
Font specifically targeted the painful departure of Lionel Messi in 2021, accusing Laporta of prioritising an alliance with Real Madrid and the Super League project over retaining the club’s greatest-ever player.
Font argued that the financial levers later pulled with Sixth Street proved that retaining Messi was always a possibility, had there been a plan.
“Barça had the potential to retain Messi in 2021, but we got to June promising that he would be renewed at a barbecue… The moment for the signing to be made official arrived, and it didn’t happen,” Font explained.
Joan Laporta and Lionel Messi
Laporta failed to retain Lionel Messi. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
He claims the administration was caught unprepared and forced to choose between La Liga’s CVC deal and Florentino Perez’s Super League vision.
“That’s when Tebas came up with the CVC issue… But when you don’t plan anything, you end up at the mercy of Tebas and CVC. So, he sat down with Tebas, Alejandro Echevarría, and Jaume Roures,” he said.
Font levelled further allegations against Laporta, accusing him of choosing Florentino Perez over Lionel Messi.a
“They agreed that it would be done this way, and suddenly, from one day to the next… The yes turned into a no. And it turned into a no, among other things, because Florentino told Barça that he was going through CVC, to forget about the Super League.
“And faced with the dilemma of choosing between Messi and Florentino, he chose Florentino,” he added.
Victor Font further warned that Laporta is allowing Florentino Perez to dictate the club’s direction, potentially steering Barça toward a model that compromises its ownership structure.
“When things like what’s brewing at Real Madrid happen, you pay attention. Florentino thinks he can dictate Barça’s path, and we’ve followed him so closely that he believes he’ll set the course and that Barça will have to follow it out of economic necessity,” he said.
“Florentino thinks he’s telling us what to do; what we have to do. And that with that, we’ll sign Haaland. And that’s the danger we face. Through good management, we can keep it as we’ve known it,” he added.
Talking about his own campaign, Font refused to deliver any transfer promises, knowing the club are yet to return to the 1:1 rule.
However, the Presidential candidate vowed the mend the relationship with the club’s biggest star, Lionel Messi.
“Barça should embrace him. He’s an active player, and erecting a statue of him doesn’t do him justice. Understanding how we can rebuild our relationship has to be a priority. First, we need to know what Messi wants,” he said.
Lionel Messi, Barcelona icon
Font wants to build bridges with Lionel Messi. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
“The other day, he sent a cryptic message that seemed to indicate he would have been happy not to leave, but that he would like to be an active part of the club. We have to listen to him, see what would make him happy, and how we can fit it in,” he added.
Finally, Font talked about Xavi Hernandez, who was present in the ‘Nosaltres’ presentation and publicly offered his support to Font.
Font was quick to clarify that the club legend is not currently part of Laporta’s plans. He emphasised that Xavi’s attendance was a statement on the club’s governance, not a job application.
“Xavi was there as a club legend and as someone who thinks the current club governance model isn’t working. Because this way we’ll only get worse and we won’t win anything,” he said.
“Xavi has no plans to return to Barça, in the short, medium, or long term, according to him. And he’s not part of our sporting project,” he concluded.