Barcelona regains institutional power in Europe and LaLiga: how Laporta did it

FC Barcelona has rebuilt its institutional power and is once again moving comfortably through the rooms where European football's biggest decisions are made. After being weakened by the 2020-2021 crisis, the club has regained dialogue, influence and room for maneuver in its dealings with LaLiga, UEFA, other football bodies, sponsors and public institutions. The current picture is a long way from the days when its external relations were deteriorating week after week.

• Barcelona is back at the heart of European football governance and is aiming for an EFC vice-presidency in 2027.
• The relationship between Joan Laporta and Javier Tebas has shifted from open conflict to a public rapprochement in July.
• The team's success under Hansi Flick has given the club an authority that reinforces its institutional weight.
• Members approved a new financing package of 510 million euros in September to complete the Spotify Camp Nou.
• Laporta was re-elected president with 68% of the vote and the Assembly backs his economic decisions without question.

Return to the heart of the EFC after the Super League break

Barcelona has returned to the top table of continental football after a period marked by its firm commitment to the Super League. The club broke with the European Super League Company, the project's promotional structure, and asked to rejoin the European Football Clubs (EFC), the body previously known as the ECA. In February 2026, Barcelona's return was approved unanimously.

The move was far from symbolic. The EFC represents more than 800 European clubs and has a direct voice on issues of major importance: competition calendars, financial regulation, the transfer market and commercial policy. Rejoining that forum meant moving from confrontation with European football's establishment to sitting at the same table once again.

The next step is already underway: Barcelona is targeting a vice-presidency in 2027. That opportunity opened up after meetings Joan Laporta held with Nasser Al Khelaïfi, president of PSG and of the EFC, and Aleksander Ceferin, president of UEFA, during the assembly held in Copenhagen this September. Meanwhile, Florentino Pérez's Real Madrid is also trying to recover its share of power, but its position remains well behind that of the Catalan club.

From war with Tebas to a new tone with LaLiga

For years, the relationship between Laporta and Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, was defined by constant disagreements and moments of open confrontation. That climate began to change in July of this year, when Laporta's inauguration for his second term provided a public stage for a rapprochement between the two leaders.

The Barcelona president understood that improving relations with the league's governing body was necessary and decided to change the tone, even though underlying disagreements remain. At that event, Laporta described LaLiga as a necessary partner. The presence of numerous high-profile figures made it clear that Barcelona continues to operate at the very highest institutional level.

Hansi Flick's sporting momentum as a lever of authority

The institutional strengthening cannot be understood without what happens on the pitch. The team's trajectory since Hansi Flick arrived in the dugout has restored Barcelona's unquestionable authority in LaLiga and delivered titles that reinforce the club's message beyond the pitch.

That sporting solidity has a direct impact in the federation sphere. Federations such as the RFEF now show greater sensitivity to the club's demands, partly because their national teams are built around Barcelona players. During the latest international break, players like Eric Garcia, Cubarsí and Raphinha were protected to avoid unnecessary risks on national duty. And when Barcelona enters the transfer market, it is no longer seen as a club weighed down by crisis, but as an institution with genuine negotiating power.

Banks, investors and the new Spotify Camp Nou financing

The confidence of the financial sector has also returned to Barcelona. After a management crisis that raised doubts even about the ownership model, the club has had to rebuild its credibility with international banks, investors and major corporations. To move the Espai Barça project forward, the club held talks with players of the stature of Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan, and had to recalculate some of the project's imbalances.

The financing terms are not comfortable, but Barcelona has learned to control the levers of a complex operation. In September, members approved a new financing package of 510 million euros to complete the Spotify Camp Nou. The stadium redevelopment has become a commercial exploitation project of enormous prestige, with revenue lines that point to significant income in the coming years.

A board backed without cracks

This shift in momentum has also translated into internal support. Laporta was re-elected president with 68% of the vote, a percentage that reflects the confidence of the club's members in his management. The Assembly has endorsed his economic decisions without significant criticism, not even over the delays in the Camp Nou works or the miscalculations that accompanied the project.

The message coming out of the club is that of a president who is backed, not questioned. The combination of sporting results, readmission to European forums and secured financing for the stadium paints a picture in which Barcelona is gradually recovering the institutional weight it once lost.

Frequently asked questions about Barcelona's new institutional power