Laporta turns the tables: Barcelona recovers its lost influence
Major shift behind the scenes
Barcelona are no longer the crisis-stricken club, weakened off the pitch, that we saw during the 2020-2021 season. The Catalan giants have begun to restore their institutional weight and rebuild their influence within European football, shifting from an image of a club drowning in crises to one capable of negotiating and asserting itself at the table of the game's major players.
Years in the wilderness followed their commitment to the European Super League project, but Barcelona have now regained their place inside European football's decision-making circles. The club cut ties with the body backing that project, submitted a request to rejoin the European Club Association, formerly known as the ECA, and won unanimous approval in February 2026.
A mere return is not enough. Barcelona are planning to compete for the post of association vice-president in 2027, following a series of contacts and meetings that brought president Joan Laporta together with some of the most prominent officials in European football, among them Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.
The European Club Association carries huge weight. Representing more than 800 clubs, it has a say in crucial matters relating to competitions, match scheduling, financial regulations, the transfer market, commercial rights and the policies governing European football.
After a period of conflict with the game's institutions, Barcelona are back at the negotiating table and have recovered an important part of their institutional presence, according to the Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo".
The end of the war with the Spanish league association?
The shift was not limited to Europe. It extended to the Spanish league association, after years of tension between Laporta and Javier Tebas.
Sharp disputes have defined the relationship between the two sides over recent years, spilling into public clashes at times. Then came the first signs of a change in tone during Laporta's inauguration ceremony for a second term as Barcelona president last July.
Club chiefs realised that improving relations with the league had become a necessity. Barcelona no longer treat the association as a permanent adversary but as an essential partner in managing shared matters, even if some points of disagreement persist.
Flick brought Barcelona back to the forefront
Much of Barcelona's institutional revival is tied to the major sporting transformation the club have undergone since Hansi Flick took charge.
Strong results and silverware have restored the team's prestige and changed the way sporting institutions view Barcelona. No longer are they seen as an institution mired in permanent crisis. They are a sporting power holding genuine negotiating cards.
This has also fed into the club's relationship with the Spanish Football Federation, given how heavily the national teams lean on prominent Barcelona players such as Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi and Raphinha. That reliance hands the club extra clout in some matters relating to players and international breaks.
From a financial crisis to economic confidence
On the economic front, Barcelona have made important progress in restoring the confidence of institutions and companies, after the administrative and financial crisis that cast its shadow over the club and raised serious questions about its management model.
Financing the "Espai Barca" project forced the club to deal with major financial and investment institutions, among them Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan, and to rearrange a number of complex financial matters.
The conditions were tough and the challenges considerable, yet Barcelona developed more effective mechanisms for handling their commitments. The project to renovate the Spotify Camp Nou stadium has become one of the club's most prominent economic and commercial bets.
Last September, the club's members approved new financing worth 510 million euros to complete the stadium development, a step that reflects the scale of the gamble and its potential to open fresh revenue streams and strengthen the club's commercial value.
Laporta reaps confidence
These transformations have handed Laporta a strong boost at home, following his re-election as Barcelona president with 68% of the votes. His economic decisions also won the backing of the general assembly, despite the criticism over the delayed stadium work and some administrative decisions during the past period.
The picture now looks entirely different from a few years ago. Barcelona still face financial, sporting and administrative challenges, but they have recovered an important part of their influence and returned to the major negotiating tables in Spain and Europe.
Between the team's strength on the pitch, the improvement in their institutional relationships and the ongoing work at Camp Nou, Barcelona are seeking to cement a new phase defined by the recovery of standing and influence, after a club that, until recently, could only try to contain its crises.
