Embarrassment at Barcelona presidential election as Ter Stegen denied vote

FC Barcelona holds its presidential election today, Sunday, March 15, with club members voting to decide who will lead the institution for the next five years. Only registered members of the club, known as socios, are allowed to vote, and they must appear on the official electoral census compiled by the club before election day.

That rule caused a stir when Barça goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, currently on loan to Girona, was unable to cast a ballot. The German’s name was not on the electoral roll, which lists all members eligible to vote in the election. Despite waiting for over 10 minutes for a solution, Ter Stegen ended up having to leave without casting a vote.

Barcelona presidential elections

Barcelona is owned by its members rather than by one private owner or shareholders, like a company. Every few years those members elect the club president and board of directors, who then run the institution and oversee its sporting, financial and strategic direction.

The vote is hugely important for the club’s governance because the president controls major decisions such as financial policy, stadium projects and long-term sporting strategy, meaning it also has a major impact on what happens on the pitch.

Who is standing in the Barcelona elections

This year’s race was narrowed down to two candidates after the validation process for supporting signatures. The final ballot pits Joan Laporta, the former and current club president seeking another mandate, against businessman Víctor Font, who finished second in the previous election and who has campaigned on a platform of structural reform and long-term sporting planning.

Laporta’s campaign focuses on financial stabilization and the continuation of major projects such as the redevelopment of the club’s stadium complex, while Font has presented himself as the main alternative promising a more modern and transparent governance model.

Who is Ter Stegen

Marc-André ter Stegen is one of Barcelona’s most recognizable players of the past decade. The German goalkeeper, born in 1992 in Mönchengladbach, joined Barça from Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2014 and went on to become the club’s long-time first-choice goalkeeper.

Over more than a decade in Catalonia he established himself as one of the top goalkeepers in European football and a regular member of the Germany national team. As of 2026, he is temporarily playing on loan at Girona while still under contract with Barcelona.

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