Barcelona’s Joan Laporta breaks silence on first trip since heart rhythm illness

Joan Laporta declined to comment on arrival in Elche as Barcelona’s delegation attended a directors’ lunch before the club’s opening La Liga fixture of the 2026-27 season.

The Barcelona president was making his first trip since suffering a heart rhythm disorder while returning from the United States, where he had watched the latter stages of the World Cup. He led the club’s delegation to Elche, but chose not to speak to the media despite the transfer market being a major talking point.

Julian Alvarez and Alejandro Balde were among the names attracting the most attention around the visit.

Laporta was the most senior Barcelona representative at the lunch with the Elche board. He was accompanied by sporting vice-president Rafa Yuste and newly appointed board members Jaume Santiveri and Javier Barniol. Both supported Laporta during his election campaign in March and formally took up their positions on 1 July.

Elche were represented by president Christian Bragarnik and the club’s general manager, Pedro Lucio Chinoca.

Laporta’s decision to remain silent came as Barcelona continue to be linked with a move for Julian Alvarez. The forward has been considered a leading target since the end of last season as the club look for a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski in the central striker position.

The Argentina international’s name was therefore prominent during a meeting that otherwise formed part of the traditional administrative arrangements surrounding the opening league match.

Balde’s position also became a central issue before the game. Hansi Flick left the Catalan left-back out of Barcelona’s squad for the match at Elche, increasing speculation that he could leave the club.

Flick had hinted at uncertainty surrounding Balde during his news conference on the previous day, but did not clarify the defender’s future. He also stopped short of explaining what would happen with Jules Kounde.

Kounde was included in Barcelona’s squad for the opening league fixture and is expected to be available as the club begin their bid for a third successive title.

Barcelona will be aiming to claim their first three points of the campaign at Elche as they start the pursuit of that achievement. Only two managers have previously led the club to three or more consecutive league titles.

Johan Cruyff guided Barcelona to four successive championships between 1991 and 1994, while Pep Guardiola’s side won three in a row from 2009 to 2011.

The developments surrounding Alvarez and Balde provided the backdrop to Laporta’s first public club engagement since his health scare, but the president offered no indication of Barcelona’s plans in either case.

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