One of the candidates to become Barcelona new president, Xavier Vilajoana, has shown ambition on social media.
Xavier Vilajoana, one of the candidates in the race to become the next president of FC Barcelona, has turned to social media to project ambition and a sense of direction at a time when the club is living through a highly political and highly scrutinized transition.
In a post on X, Vilajoana shared an image of Harry Kane wearing a Barcelona shirt, using the visual as a symbol of what he wants Barcelona to be able to do again: protect its own identity through La Masia while also having the economic and sporting muscle to attract the biggest names in world football when necessary.
Vilajoana framed his message around a balancing act that has defined many of the internal debates at Barcelona in recent years. On one side is La Masia, the academy that remains the backbone of the club identity and an increasingly important pillar in squad building, especially when financial constraints limit what can be done in the transfer market. On the other side is the reality that the elite level demands immediate performance, depth, and star power, particularly if Barcelona aims to consistently challenge for major titles in Spain and Europe.
In his post, Vilajoana emphasized that taking care of La Masia players is his top priority, but he added that Barcelona must always be able to attract top talent. The message was structured to reassure both audiences: those who want the club to remain faithful to its development model, and those who feel Barcelona cannot rely solely on young players if it wants to compete at the very top every season. The choice of Kane, a globally recognized striker, amplified that idea. It was less about a literal transfer claim and more about presenting an image of a Barcelona fc that can once again operate among the strongest clubs financially and sporting wise.
Vilajoana also directly touched the nerve that shapes almost every major decision at Barcelona right now: the finances. He wrote about ending financial chaos, linking sporting ambition to economic stability. In practical terms, the club has faced ongoing pressure related to budgeting, squad registration constraints, and the constant need to align spending with revenue targets. For any candidate, promising competitiveness without addressing financial management risks sounding disconnected from reality. Vilajoana tried to connect the two, implying that restoring order in the accounts is not just a boardroom objective, but a condition for building a squad capable of winning.
The post lands in the middle of a campaign atmosphere where symbolism matters. In club elections, big names are often used as shorthand for a vision: a star forward can represent immediate firepower, commercial pull, and a return to the biggest nights. At the same time, that kind of messaging can be risky, because Barcelona supporters have seen how easy it is for ambitious promises to clash with financial restrictions. That tension is precisely why Vilajoana paired the star imagery with a promise of discipline, suggesting that the club can be ambitious without repeating mistakes.
This comes as Barcelona enters an unusual institutional phase. Joan Laporta stepped down as president 10 days ago in order to be eligible to run in the upcoming elections, scheduled for 15 March. The resignation is tied to the election process rather than a definitive exit from Barcelona politics, and Laporta is expected to campaign to continue his leadership. Laporta has already served 2 major periods as president, from 2003 to 2010, and again from 2021 until now, which makes his candidacy both familiar and divisive depending on how supporters assess the club trajectory across those eras.
The campaign is not only about Laporta and Vilajoana. Victor Font, another prominent figure in previous Barcelona elections, has also been referenced in the broader contest, and the name Lionel Messi continues to appear as political capital in the debate. According to the reporting, Font previously invoked Messi as part of the conversation, and another challenger to Laporta said in an interview with Mundo Deportivo that he would contact Messi about a potential return. Even when a return is uncertain or complicated, the Messi theme resonates because it taps into identity, nostalgia, commercial impact, and the idea of restoring a connection that many fans feel was broken.
Within this landscape, candidates are effectively competing on 3 linked fronts.
First, sporting direction. Who is the coach, what is the model, and how does the club decide when to lean on youth versus when to buy experience and star quality. Vilajoana, through his messaging, is signaling that the club should protect the pipeline from La Masia but remain capable of decisive moves in the market.
Second, financial credibility. Any plan is judged by whether it is compatible with the club economic constraints and the rules that govern spending and squad building. When Vilajoana talks about ending chaos, he is trying to position himself as someone who can bring structure and predictability, not just ambition.
Third, institutional stability and governance. After years of intense pressure, public scrutiny, and internal debates, many supporters want a president who can lower volatility, communicate clearly, and build consensus while still taking strong decisions.
The transition timeline is also important. Laporta and much of the current board are stepping aside temporarily until 30 June 2026. During that interim period, vice president Rafa Yuste will act as interim president, handling day to day duties while the club remains on an election footing. The newly elected president is expected to take office on 1 July 2026, which means the campaign is also a fight over who will be in control for the next full administrative cycle, including sporting planning, budget decisions, and long term strategy.
In that sense, Vilajoana post is not just a viral moment. It is a political statement aimed at framing his candidacy as both ambitious and pragmatic. He is trying to say that Barcelona can be Barcelona again, meaning a club that develops its own talents and wins, but also a club that can sign the kind of elite player associated with the biggest stages. The core promise is that financial order is not an obstacle to ambition, but the foundation of it.
If you want, I can extend it even more in the same style, focusing on what each candidate is trying to sell to the voters, and why Kane and Messi are being used as symbols in the campaign.
Updated: 12:46, 19 Feb 2026
