TA: Considering the presidential election, Barcelona’s long-term plans for signings are still on hold

Hupu News on November 18th Recently, TA wrote the latest issue of "Barcelona Insider", which will bring information and analysis on the biggest topics around Barcelona's on and off-court related matters, and use trustworthy reports to cut through the noise about Barcelona.

What is the biggest topic in Barcelona right now?

Barcelona finally returned to the long-awaited Camp Nou. The club officially confirmed on Monday that they will face Athletic Bilbao at the Camp Nou in La Liga this weekend. This will be the first game since May 2023, and the temporary capacity is 45,401 people, less than half of the full capacity. The news comes shortly after the city council gave the club the go-ahead to move into phase two of the restart process. Barca submitted all the necessary documents last Friday, with parliamentary sources admitting at the time that they were optimistic about approval and were satisfied with the club's application. However, doubts persisted until this morning over Barca's ability to host the match against Athletic Bilbao as scheduled. Club sources admitted that all the logistics involved in getting the stadium ready for the game in less than a week would not be easy to accomplish, but the decision was ultimately made to push ahead with the historic return. The following Saturday, November 29, was an alternative plan - that day was the 126th anniversary of Barcelona's founding, and they would face Alaves at home. When the Camp Nou renovation project started at the end of the 2022-23 season, club vice-president Elena Ford said that they expected to return in time for Barcelona's 125th anniversary, that is, November 29, 2024, with an initial limited capacity. After a year of multiple delays, it looks like they're finally coming back.

What is the aftermath of Messi’s secret visit?

It was supposed to be a quiet break between international breaks after Barcelona's 4-2 victory over Celta Vigo reduced Real Madrid's lead in La Liga to three points. But then Messi showed up, and the Argentine star's Instagram post of himself standing in the refurbished Camp Nou gave many Barca fans a wave of nostalgia, but also sparked some deeper discussion surrounding the club. Why did the greatest player in the club's history "sneak into" the Camp Nou without informing the club beforehand? Messi wrote in the caption that he wanted to return to Barca "not just as a footballer to say goodbye" - but what other roles could he take on? Laporta told local station Catalunya Radio that his relationship with the player was "courteous and respectful," while Messi's camp said the relationship "no longer exists," and his secret return to Camp Nou seemed to confirm this. Laporta plans to run for re-election as chairman next year and is in a strong position after the team won the domestic treble last season and reached the Champions League semi-finals. But Messi exposed the tensions between him and the president, opening the way for the opposition to criticize Laporta in the coming months. The backlash was so overwhelming that Laporta decided to take things a step further, announcing later this week that the club planned to erect a statue of Messi outside Camp Nou in tribute to their all-time top scorer. Don't expect this to be the last you hear about the dynamics of Laporta's relationship with Messi in the months leading up to the club's elections.

Is Barcelona considering Harry Kane?

It is known that Barcelona is looking for a forward for next summer, because the 37-year-old Lewandowski may leave when his current contract expires in June. But it is too early to say that the Catalan giants are ready to pursue Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, or that they intend to replace Lewandowski with the 32-year-old England captain. Senior sources at the club (who, like all sources cited in this article, requested anonymity to protect their position) say they have not yet begun taking action. They insist that not only is it too early to discuss the matter, but that long-term plans are now impossible given next year's presidential election. Club members will vote on Barca's president for the next five years until next summer, so any long-term sporting plans are currently on hold. TheAthletic previously reported that Laporta’s dream signing to strengthen the striker is Atletico Madrid’s 25-year-old Argentina international Alvarez. Regardless, as the election season heats up, be prepared for names to keep popping up surrounding the club's next signing.

The election season has begun?

There is no official date yet for the club's elections next year, but the political campaign has already begun. Laporta told Catalunya Radio that he expected the election to be held around the Champions League semi-finals to give the elected candidates time to plan for the summer transfer market. Taking advantage of the current international break, Victor Font, another major candidate in the previous elections, will begin to introduce his plans for this round of voting. He aims to unite many opinion groups that criticize Laporta and seems to be the most important opponent of the current president. Fonte is the first candidate to take steps in the campaign, but other possible candidates mentioned include former Barca director Xavi Villajoana and businessman Juan Camprubi, the grandson and great-grandson of the club's former president and founder of Barca membership group SomunClam.