Administrative earthquake at the Camp Nou: Barcelona's chief executive resigns after just one year

A surprise departure

Barcelona's administrative house is in unprecedented turmoil. Just a short time after taking charge of the executive body, the Catalan club's general manager has suddenly walked away, opening the door to a new phase of restructuring inside the Camp Nou offices.

Spanish newspaper ARA confirmed that chief executive Manel del Río handed in his resignation after just one year in the role. He said his goodbyes to the board of directors last Monday, with Wednesday set to be his final day within the club's walls.

Del Río joined Barcelona four years ago, in September 2022, as an assistant to Maribel Meléndez, who took over as general manager at the time. She had stepped in following the departure of Ferran Reverter, the previous holder of that sensitive position.

A brief club statement explained that both parties reached the decision by complete mutual agreement, and that the transition passed off entirely smoothly and without dispute.

Sergio Serrano: the new strong man

Now Barcelona must urgently redistribute responsibilities. Word is that Sergio Serrano, the newest addition to the executive team after arriving from Banco Sabadell, will wield considerable influence in the coming phase and take charge of the club's thorny financial file.

Sources revealed that the board has already interviewed several candidates for the general manager role. They have not overlooked the talent inside the Camp Nou offices either, with internal promotion and handing more powers to the club's own employees firmly on the table.