Andorran Entrepreneur Marc Rodríguez Joins FC Barcelona Board
Following Joan Laporta's landslide presidential win, Marc Rodríguez, an Andorran FAF board member and lifelong Barça fan, will join the executive.
Key Points
- Laporta won with 70% of votes, returns as president.
- Rodríguez supported Laporta's campaign in Andorra; appointment nearly finalized.
- Restores Andorran board presence absent for >10 years; effective July 1.
- Board to include 14-25 members with initial slate plus holdovers and additions.
Marc Rodríguez, an Andorran entrepreneur and current board member of the Andorran Football Federation (FAF), will join FC Barcelona's executive board following Joan Laporta's election victory on Sunday.
Laporta secured nearly 70% of the votes in the club's presidential election, marking his return as president. Rodríguez, who did not run on Laporta's ticket, publicly backed the candidate during a pre-election visit to Andorra. He attended key events, including the opening of Laporta's campaign headquarters and a rally in Unnic, alongside other local supporters.
The move aims to restore Andorran representation on Barcelona's board after more than a decade. Rodríguez's appointment is nearly finalized, pending minor formalities. However, it will not take effect until at least July 1, when Laporta's mandate officially begins under the club's statutes.
Laporta's initial board will include his campaign slate—Elena Fort, Antonio Escudero, Ferran Olivé, Joan Soler, Xavi Puig, Aureli Mas, Xavier Barbany, Miquel Camps, Josep Maria Albert, Carles Ayats, Xavier Barniol, Carme Hortalà, Jaume Nicolás, and Jaume Santiveri—plus holdovers from the previous board who did not resign to campaign: Rafa Yuste, Josep Cubells, Alfons Castro, Josep-Ignasi Macià, Àngel Riudalbas, Joan Solé, and Sisco Pujol.
Further additions, up to three more including Rodríguez, could follow in a second phase. The board must stay between 14 and 25 members. New appointees require approval by the existing board and ratification at a meeting of delegates.
A lifelong Barcelona fan and long-time club member, Rodríguez attended the 2009 Champions League final in Rome, where the team beat Manchester United. His football involvement includes joining Fèlix Álvarez's successful 2019 bid for FAF presidency, where he became a vocal and remains in the role for a second term.
Andorra has long ties to Barcelona. Past board members include Ramon Fusté, who served late in Josep Lluís Núñez's presidency, and Ramon Cierco, who joined under Sandro Rosell in 2010, handling non-professional sections, roller hockey, and youth football until the 2015 BPA scandal. Others, like Àlex Terés on the social commission and former members Josep Cases and Manel Torrentallé on the supporters' group, highlight the principality's ongoing influence.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: