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1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 84 (from laksa075)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa084.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7041720/2026/02/18/barcelona-election-candidates-weird-world/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7041720/2026/02/18/barcelona-election-candidates-weird-world/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7041720\/2026\/02\/18\/barcelona-election-candidates-weird-world\/","crawl_time":1772883358,"first_indexed_time":1771396356,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,nytimes!www,\/athletic\/7041720\/2026\/02\/18\/barcelona-election-candidates-weird-world\/ s443","src_root_hash":"4566504020376537684","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"The weird world of Barcelona election candidates, featuring a trumpeter and a former adult films producer - The Athletic","meta_descriptions":["Barcelona's democratic process often means some fascinating characters put themselves forward to be club president"],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Election season is in full swing at Barcelona.\nJoan Laporta stepped down from his role as president last week, as the club’s regulations state a candidate must do before they campaign for re-election. Laporta is seeking another term after his first spell from 2003-2010 and his most recent one since 2021.\nThe other confirmed preliminary opposition candidates are Catalan fintech entrepreneur Victor Font, local businessman Marc Ciria and former club executive and head of La Masia, Xavi Vilajoana. They have all stepped up their media activity in recent weeks as they seek to oust Laporta.\nThe only requirements to be eligible to run as a presidential candidate are to be more than 18 years old and to have been a club member for at least a year.\nBut each ‘pre-candidate’ who wishes to stand must also submit 2,337 supporting signatures — a number that is, according to the club’s statutes, more than 50 per cent of the delegate members called up for Barca’s last general assembly. They need to present these before 9pm on March 2 to become an ‘official’ candidate. The decisive vote will be held on March 15 — and \nThe Athletic \nwill have more coverage of the race as it hots up.\nBeing in charge of Barcelona is unique — with presidents managing a global football brand and an intensely local club. Barca’s democratic process is also highly specific in the context of Spanish football — they are only one of four clubs across the country still owned by their members (\nsocis\nin Catalan).\nThe process has led to a long list of fascinating characters who have dreamed of becoming Barca president and chanced their arm.\nHere, we pick out a few.\nJordi Farre, 2015 and 2021\nFarre will go down in Barca history as the man who launched the no-confidence vote that spelled the end for former president Josep Maria Bartomeu in 2020. But his approach was unusual.\nHe was a pre-candidate in 2015 and 2021, but never secured the required number of signatures to become an official candidate — although it was not for want of effort.\nFarre gathered around 2,000 signatures on both occasions. In 2015, he attempted to convince members to vote for him by offering free pizza and Barca-related tattoos in exchange for their signature.\nJordi Farre offered fans free Barcelona tattoos in exchange for their supporting signatures\nHesham Elsherif\/Anadolu via Getty Images\n“Our campaign needs to set an example for how we want to manage the club,” Farre said in 2015, when presenting his candidacy. “With those activities, the members will know our way of doing things.”\nA few weeks later, he conceded the stunt had been a mistake. “I wanted to attract attention, but I ended up losing credibility. I got it wrong,” he said in a press conference.\nFarre entered the Barca world after founding the company Agrifood, but he earned greater notoriety in Catalonia for a previous business he worked in — he was involved in the production of adult cinema in 2006.\n“I got into it because of my girlfriend, whose parents are involved in the industry, and then my best friend works in an X-rated cinema,” he told local television station TV3 at the time.\nJoaquim Clusells, 2003\nThe 2003 elections saw the highest number of pre-candidates apply, with 10. Only six made the final cut, though, before Laporta won the vote.\nAmong those left out after the supporting signatures stage was Clusells, who led one of the shortest-lived campaigns to become Barca president. His hopes of running the club faded as soon as he finished an interview with TV3.\n“With the fans and people I speak to, I have promised that if I become president I will let women get into the first-team dressing room,” he said, adding that there were things “they will want to see”.\nWeeks later, Clusells said he thought the microphone was turned off when he said that, and admitted it was a mistake. Clusells, a businessman in the hospitality industry, did not even show up at the club offices with a supporting signature.\nFrancesc Linan, 1993-2010\nLinan was a pre-candidate six times, although he was never close to having the required support for the next step.\nAt every election, Linan would turn up at the club’s Camp Nou headquarters with the supporting signatures he had collected. The problem was he only had one — his own.\nThe only time he had more than his own support was in 1993, when he collected 14 signatures. Linan once said he presented his own signature to avoid any other pre-candidate duplicating it and using it to their favour.\nHe also once owned a small local business in the fur sector. He died in 2017.\nYour browser does not support the video tag.\n0:02 \/ 4:47\nFerran Estrada, 1978-2021\nIf Linan’s six consecutive elections seem like a lot to you, try the 12 campaigns Estrada was involved in over 43 years.\nHe became a popular figure among the club’s fanbase in the 1970s as a trumpeter. Estrada was a long-serving season-ticket holder who at the time sat in the Camp Nou’s Gol Sud stand and played songs during games.\nEstrada gave his support to official candidate Francesc Arino in the 1978 elections, which were won by Josep Lluis Nunez. After that, he presented himself as a pre-candidate in every election. He never intended to win the thing, but presented himself as the traditional Catalan-born Barca fan who had lived through every significant moment in the club’s history.\nIn 1978, he said he would stop playing the trumpet at the Camp Nou if Nunez won. When that happened, Estrada kept his promise — only returning when their legendary former player Johan Cruyff returned to become Barca manager in 1988.\nFerran Estrada only returned as the Camp Nou’s trumpeter when Johan Cruyff was appointed manager\nNeal Simpson\/EMPICS via Getty Images\nIn an interview with Diario Sport in 2021, Estrada said he was at Wembley in 1992 when Barcelona won their first Champions League trophy. He claimed he had started playing his trumpet just before Ronald Koeman scored the winning free kick in extra time against Sampdoria, thus saying his song inspired the Dutch defender to make history.\nEstrada was known for turning up at the club’s headquarters with a\nbarretina\n, a traditional Catalan hat. Five years ago, he arrived with his trumpet and played the club anthem, before presenting all the supporting signatures he had collected. He tended to gather around a dozen each time, far from the amount required to become an official candidate. His record was the 87 he gathered in 2021.\nEstrada died in 2024, with Barcelona’s social media accounts paying tribute to the beloved — and eccentric — figure.\nEl FC Barcelona vol enviar el seu condol als familiars i amistats de Ferran Estrada, icònic barcelonista i precandidat en diversos processos electorals del Club\n— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_cat)\nMay 2, 2024\nWilliam Maddock Saint Noble, 2026\nEarlier this month, club member Maddock Saint Noble announced his intention to be a preliminary candidate in the elections. He is an unknown in the Barca world so far and is not expected to make the final cut to be an official candidate — but those low hopes have not held him back.\nBorn in Barcelona, he is the grandson of Royston Saint Noble Bywater, a former footballer who played a friendly for Barca in the 1902-03 season, and who is better known as one of the founders of local radio station Radio Barcelona. Maddock Saint Noble also has British citizenship.\nIn his announcement, he defined himself as a “low-cost and last-minute” candidate. He said he would make 125 changes to the club’s rules and included his phone number and a Yahoo email address in case anyone wanted to join forces.\nMultiple reports in local media claim Maddock Saint Noble was once the president of a Real Madrid fans’ group in Montornes del Valles, the Catalan town where he is based. He denied this when contacted by\nThe Athletic\n, saying he only owned the building where the Madrid fan group used to gather.\nHe was once the president of his local team, the amateur club CE Montornes, and in 2020 attempted to become the president of CE Europa, a lower-division Barcelona side who now play in the third tier of Spanish football. He did not gather enough support to become a final candidate, though.\nOne of the businesses he is involved in is the Vila del Cerc hotel, on the outskirts of Barcelona. It was once reported he was arrested in the hotel after being accused of stealing possessions from the guests.\n“It is true I was arrested,” he told Spanish outlet Cronica Global in quotes published earlier this month. “There were squatters in there, not customers of the hotel. I was detained and we are waiting for the trial. My lawyer told me I will win it.”\nMaddock Saint Noble confirmed to\nThe Athletic\nit was true he was arrested, again saying he had squatters living in his property, and that he removed them from the hotel, but did not want to comment further. The trial is still pending.","attrs_markdown":"[![](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACw=)PL's 'Same-Old Story'](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7093038\/2026\/03\/07\/premier-league-same-old-story-woe\/)\n\n[![](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACw=)Slot Has a Decision to Make](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7094436\/2026\/03\/07\/rio-ngumoha-liverpool-arne-slot-wolves\/)\n\n[![](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACw=)Spurs' Dreadful January](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7093275\/2026\/03\/07\/tottenham-premier-league-relegation-transfers\/)\n\n[![](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACw=)Premier League](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/football\/premier-league\/)\n\n[![](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACw=)FA Cup](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/football\/fa-cup\/)\n\n[![](data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACw=)2026 Men's World 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Rey](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/football\/copa-del-rey\/)\n\n[Log In](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/login2\/?ref_page=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fathletic%2F7041720%2F2026%2F02%2F18%2Fbarcelona-election-candidates-weird-world%2F&login_source=site_nav&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fathletic%2F7041720%2F2026%2F02%2F18%2Fbarcelona-election-candidates-weird-world%2F)\n\n# The weird world of Barcelona election candidates, featuring a trumpeter and a former adult films producer\n![The late Barcelona fan and trumpeter Ferran Estrada outside the Camp Nou in August 2020](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/02\/12110654\/GettyImages-1228217232-1024x683.jpg?width=1920&quality=70&auto=webp)\n\nThe late Barcelona fan and trumpeter Ferran Estrada outside the Camp Nou in August 2020 Matthias Oesterle\/picture alliance via Getty Images\n\n[![](data:image\/svg+xml,%3csvg%20xmlns=%27http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%27%20version=%271.1%27%20width=%2740%27%20height=%2740%27\/%3e)![Pol Ballús](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2022\/10\/11110507\/Ballus-Pol-Complete.jpg?width=96&quality=70&auto=webp) ![Pol Ballús](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2022\/10\/11110507\/Ballus-Pol-Complete.jpg?width=96&quality=70&auto=webp)](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/author\/pol-ballus\/)\n\nBy\n\n[Pol Ballús](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/author\/pol-ballus\/)\n\nFeb. 18, 2026\n\nShare full article\n\n3\n\nElection season is in full swing at Barcelona.\n\nJoan Laporta stepped down from his role as president last week, as the club’s regulations state a candidate must do before they campaign for re-election. Laporta is seeking another term after his first spell from 2003-2010 and his most recent one since 2021.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe other confirmed preliminary opposition candidates are Catalan fintech entrepreneur Victor Font, local businessman Marc Ciria and former club executive and head of La Masia, Xavi Vilajoana. They have all stepped up their media activity in recent weeks as they seek to oust Laporta.\n\nThe only requirements to be eligible to run as a presidential candidate are to be more than 18 years old and to have been a club member for at least a year.\n\nBut each ‘pre-candidate’ who wishes to stand must also submit 2,337 supporting signatures — a number that is, according to the club’s statutes, more than 50 per cent of the delegate members called up for Barca’s last general assembly. They need to present these before 9pm on March 2 to become an ‘official’ candidate. The decisive vote will be held on March 15 — and *The Athletic* will have more coverage of the race as it hots up.\n\nBeing in charge of Barcelona is unique — with presidents managing a global football brand and an intensely local club. Barca’s democratic process is also highly specific in the context of Spanish football — they are only one of four clubs across the country still owned by their members (*socis* in Catalan).\n\nThe process has led to a long list of fascinating characters who have dreamed of becoming Barca president and chanced their arm.\n\nHere, we pick out a few.\n\n[What You Should Read Next ![Lionel Messi politics and Ronaldinho on the bongos: It’s election season at Barcelona](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2025\/12\/17093731\/GettyImages-1232436610-1-scaled.jpg?width=400&quality=70) Lionel Messi politics and Ronaldinho on the bongos: It’s election season at Barcelona Several opponents to Joan Laporta's presidency have already stated their intention to run against him](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6896317\/2025\/12\/18\/barcelona-messi-laporta-elections\/)\n***\n## Jordi Farre, 2015 and 2021\nFarre will go down in Barca history as the man who launched the no-confidence vote that spelled the end for former president Josep Maria Bartomeu in 2020. But his approach was unusual.\n\nHe was a pre-candidate in 2015 and 2021, but never secured the required number of signatures to become an official candidate — although it was not for want of effort.\n\nFarre gathered around 2,000 signatures on both occasions. In 2015, he attempted to convince members to vote for him by offering free pizza and Barca-related tattoos in exchange for their signature.\n\n![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/02\/12105556\/GettyImages-2209853199-scaled.jpg)\n\nJordi Farre offered fans free Barcelona tattoos in exchange for their supporting signaturesHesham Elsherif\/Anadolu via Getty Images\n\n“Our campaign needs to set an example for how we want to manage the club,” Farre said in 2015, when presenting his candidacy. “With those activities, the members will know our way of doing things.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nA few weeks later, he conceded the stunt had been a mistake. “I wanted to attract attention, but I ended up losing credibility. I got it wrong,” he said in a press conference.\n\nFarre entered the Barca world after founding the company Agrifood, but he earned greater notoriety in Catalonia for a previous business he worked in — he was involved in the production of adult cinema in 2006.\n\n“I got into it because of my girlfriend, whose parents are involved in the industry, and then my best friend works in an X-rated cinema,” he told local television station TV3 at the time.\n***\n## Joaquim Clusells, 2003\nThe 2003 elections saw the highest number of pre-candidates apply, with 10. Only six made the final cut, though, before Laporta won the vote.\n\nAmong those left out after the supporting signatures stage was Clusells, who led one of the shortest-lived campaigns to become Barca president. His hopes of running the club faded as soon as he finished an interview with TV3.\n\n“With the fans and people I speak to, I have promised that if I become president I will let women get into the first-team dressing room,” he said, adding that there were things “they will want to see”.\n\nWeeks later, Clusells said he thought the microphone was turned off when he said that, and admitted it was a mistake. Clusells, a businessman in the hospitality industry, did not even show up at the club offices with a supporting signature.\n***\n## Francesc Linan, 1993-2010\nLinan was a pre-candidate six times, although he was never close to having the required support for the next step.\n\nAt every election, Linan would turn up at the club’s Camp Nou headquarters with the supporting signatures he had collected. The problem was he only had one — his own.\n\nThe only time he had more than his own support was in 1993, when he collected 14 signatures. Linan once said he presented his own signature to avoid any other pre-candidate duplicating it and using it to their favour.\n\nHe also once owned a small local business in the fur sector. He died in 2017.\n\nYour browser does not support the video tag.\n\n![Pause](data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMzIiIGhlaWdodD0iMzIiIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAzMiAzMiIgZmlsbD0ibm9uZSIgeG1sbnM9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cudzMub3JnLzIwMDAvc3ZnIj4KPHJlY3QgeD0iMTEuMjAwNiIgeT0iOCIgd2lkdGg9IjMuMiIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxNS4yIiBmaWxsPSJ3aGl0ZSIvPgo8cmVjdCB4PSIxOS4yMDA3IiB5PSI4IiB3aWR0aD0iMy4yIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjE1LjIiIGZpbGw9IndoaXRlIi8+Cjwvc3ZnPgo=)\n\n0:02 \/ 4:47\n\n![Mute](data:image\/svg+xml;base64,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)\n\n![Share](data:image\/svg+xml;base64,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)\n\n![Fullscreen](data:image\/svg+xml;base64,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)\n\n![](data:image\/svg+xml;base64,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)\n***\n## Ferran Estrada, 1978-2021\nIf Linan’s six consecutive elections seem like a lot to you, try the 12 campaigns Estrada was involved in over 43 years.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nHe became a popular figure among the club’s fanbase in the 1970s as a trumpeter. Estrada was a long-serving season-ticket holder who at the time sat in the Camp Nou’s Gol Sud stand and played songs during games.\n\nEstrada gave his support to official candidate Francesc Arino in the 1978 elections, which were won by Josep Lluis Nunez. After that, he presented himself as a pre-candidate in every election. He never intended to win the thing, but presented himself as the traditional Catalan-born Barca fan who had lived through every significant moment in the club’s history.\n\nIn 1978, he said he would stop playing the trumpet at the Camp Nou if Nunez won. When that happened, Estrada kept his promise — only returning when their legendary former player Johan Cruyff returned to become Barca manager in 1988.\n\n![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/02\/12105918\/GettyImages-649938648-scaled.jpg)\n\nFerran Estrada only returned as the Camp Nou’s trumpeter when Johan Cruyff was appointed managerNeal Simpson\/EMPICS via Getty Images\n\nIn an interview with Diario Sport in 2021, Estrada said he was at Wembley in 1992 when Barcelona won their first Champions League trophy. He claimed he had started playing his trumpet just before Ronald Koeman scored the winning free kick in extra time against Sampdoria, thus saying his song inspired the Dutch defender to make history.\n\nEstrada was known for turning up at the club’s headquarters with a *barretina*, a traditional Catalan hat. Five years ago, he arrived with his trumpet and played the club anthem, before presenting all the supporting signatures he had collected. He tended to gather around a dozen each time, far from the amount required to become an official candidate. His record was the 87 he gathered in 2021.\n\nEstrada died in 2024, with Barcelona’s social media accounts paying tribute to the beloved — and eccentric — figure.\n\n> El FC Barcelona vol enviar el seu condol als familiars i amistats de Ferran Estrada, icònic barcelonista i precandidat en diversos processos electorals del Club\n> \n> — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona\\_cat) [May 2, 2024](https:\/\/twitter.com\/FCBarcelona_cat\/status\/1786060953454272524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)\n***\n## William Maddock Saint Noble, 2026\nEarlier this month, club member Maddock Saint Noble announced his intention to be a preliminary candidate in the elections. He is an unknown in the Barca world so far and is not expected to make the final cut to be an official candidate — but those low hopes have not held him back.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nBorn in Barcelona, he is the grandson of Royston Saint Noble Bywater, a former footballer who played a friendly for Barca in the 1902-03 season, and who is better known as one of the founders of local radio station Radio Barcelona. Maddock Saint Noble also has British citizenship.\n\nIn his announcement, he defined himself as a “low-cost and last-minute” candidate. He said he would make 125 changes to the club’s rules and included his phone number and a Yahoo email address in case anyone wanted to join forces.\n\nMultiple reports in local media claim Maddock Saint Noble was once the president of a Real Madrid fans’ group in Montornes del Valles, the Catalan town where he is based. He denied this when contacted by *The Athletic*, saying he only owned the building where the Madrid fan group used to gather.\n\nHe was once the president of his local team, the amateur club CE Montornes, and in 2020 attempted to become the president of CE Europa, a lower-division Barcelona side who now play in the third tier of Spanish football. He did not gather enough support to become a final candidate, though.\n\nOne of the businesses he is involved in is the Vila del Cerc hotel, on the outskirts of Barcelona. It was once reported he was arrested in the hotel after being accused of stealing possessions from the guests.\n\n“It is true I was arrested,” he told Spanish outlet Cronica Global in quotes published earlier this month. “There were squatters in there, not customers of the hotel. I was detained and we are waiting for the trial. My lawyer told me I will win it.”\n\nMaddock Saint Noble confirmed to *The Athletic* it was true he was arrested, again saying he had squatters living in his property, and that he removed them from the hotel, but did not want to comment further. The trial is still pending.\n\n[![](data:image\/svg+xml,%3csvg%20xmlns=%27http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%27%20version=%271.1%27%20width=%2740%27%20height=%2740%27\/%3e)![Pol Ballús](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2022\/10\/11110507\/Ballus-Pol-Complete.jpg?width=96&quality=70&auto=webp)](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/author\/pol-ballus\/)\n\nBy\n\n[Pol Ballús](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/author\/pol-ballus\/)\n\nFootball Writer, FC Barcelona\n\nTagged To:\n\n[La Liga](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/football\/la-liga\/)\n\n[Soccer](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/football\/)\n\n[Sports Business](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/sports-business\/)\n\n[Barcelona](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/football\/team\/fc-barcelona\/)\n\nYour Next Read\n\n[Inside Barcelona: How will Hansi Flick react to his team’s worst performances of the 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tie](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7092991\/2026\/03\/06\/real-madrid-benfica-uefa-sanction\/)\n\nLatest headlines\n\n[Iranian women's soccer team labelled 'wartime traitors' by state TV](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7093675\/2026\/03\/06\/iran-women-team-asian-cup-war\/)\n\n[Villa's Emi Martinez appears to be breaching FA's gambling rules](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7093065\/2026\/03\/06\/emi-martinez-gambling-rules-villa-fa\/)\n\n[Man United increase ticket prices for fourth successive season](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7092948\/2026\/03\/06\/manchester-united-ticket-price-increase\/)\n\n![](data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iNiIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxMCIgdmlld0JveD0iMCAwIDI0IDI0IiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPgo8cGF0aCBkPSJNMjQgMS45NTU1OUwxMC41MjQ3IDIxTDAgMTMuMjczTDEuOTYwMzEgMTAuNTUyTDkuNzY2NDggMTYuMjgzMUwyMS4yODc5IDBMMjQgMS45NTU1OVoiIGZpbGw9IiMwMDAwMDAiPjwvcGF0aD4KPC9zdmc+Cg==)\n\n![Connections: Sports Edition Logo](data:image\/png;base64,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)\n\n![Connections: Sports Edition Logo](data:image\/png;base64,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)\n\nMar 7, 2026\n\n## Connections: Sports Edition\nSpot the pattern. Connect the terms\n\nFind the hidden link between sports terms\n\nPlay today's puzzle\n\n![](data:image\/svg+xml,%3csvg%20xmlns=%27http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%27%20version=%271.1%27%20width=%27100%27%20height=%27100%27\/%3e)![Pol Ballús](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2022\/10\/11110507\/Ballus-Pol-Complete.jpg?width=256&quality=70&auto=webp)\n\n![Pol Ballús](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2022\/10\/11110507\/Ballus-Pol-Complete.jpg?width=256&quality=70&auto=webp)\n\nPol joined The Athletic in 2021, initially moving to Manchester to assist us with our Manchester City, Manchester United and Spanish reporting. Since 2015 he worked as an English football correspondent for multiple Spanish media, as well as working The Times. In 2019, he co-wrote the book Pep’s City: The Making of a Superteam. He is now back in Spain, covering FC Barcelona for The Athletic. Follow Pol on Twitter **[@polballus](https:\/\/twitter.com\/polballus)**\n\nCOMMENTS\n\n3\n\nK\n\nKevin M.\n\n· Feb 18\n\nGreat article. Love to read about all these characters.\n***\n\nM\n\nMick B.\n\n· Feb 18\n\nAs a relatively new fan to the team (2 years in), I find all of this amazing and quite unique compared to my experiences with the way US Pro teams are run.\n\nView all comments\n\nNational\n\n[Boxing](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/boxing\/)\n\n[Bundesliga](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/football\/bundesliga\/)\n\n[Champions League](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/football\/champions-league\/)\n\n[Championship](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/football\/efl-championship\/)\n\n[College Football](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-football\/)\n\n[College Sports](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/college-sports\/)\n\n[Copa America](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/football\/copa-america\/)\n\n[Copa del 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Store](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/logos\/team\/appstore-ios.png?width=256&quality=70&format=auto)](https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/the-athletic-sports-news\/id1135216317)\n\n[![](data:image\/svg+xml,%3csvg%20xmlns=%27http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%27%20version=%271.1%27%20width=%27100%27%20height=%2730%27\/%3e)![Get it on Google Play](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/logos\/team\/appstore-android.png?width=256&quality=70&format=auto) ![Get it on Google Play](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/logos\/team\/appstore-android.png?width=256&quality=70&format=auto)](https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.theathletic)","attrs_readable_markdown":"Election season is in full swing at Barcelona.\n\nJoan Laporta stepped down from his role as president last week, as the club’s regulations state a candidate must do before they campaign for re-election. Laporta is seeking another term after his first spell from 2003-2010 and his most recent one since 2021.\n\nThe other confirmed preliminary opposition candidates are Catalan fintech entrepreneur Victor Font, local businessman Marc Ciria and former club executive and head of La Masia, Xavi Vilajoana. They have all stepped up their media activity in recent weeks as they seek to oust Laporta.\n\nThe only requirements to be eligible to run as a presidential candidate are to be more than 18 years old and to have been a club member for at least a year.\n\nBut each ‘pre-candidate’ who wishes to stand must also submit 2,337 supporting signatures — a number that is, according to the club’s statutes, more than 50 per cent of the delegate members called up for Barca’s last general assembly. They need to present these before 9pm on March 2 to become an ‘official’ candidate. The decisive vote will be held on March 15 — and *The Athletic* will have more coverage of the race as it hots up.\n\nBeing in charge of Barcelona is unique — with presidents managing a global football brand and an intensely local club. Barca’s democratic process is also highly specific in the context of Spanish football — they are only one of four clubs across the country still owned by their members (*socis* in Catalan).\n\nThe process has led to a long list of fascinating characters who have dreamed of becoming Barca president and chanced their arm.\n\nHere, we pick out a few.\n***\n## Jordi Farre, 2015 and 2021\nFarre will go down in Barca history as the man who launched the no-confidence vote that spelled the end for former president Josep Maria Bartomeu in 2020. But his approach was unusual.\n\nHe was a pre-candidate in 2015 and 2021, but never secured the required number of signatures to become an official candidate — although it was not for want of effort.\n\nFarre gathered around 2,000 signatures on both occasions. In 2015, he attempted to convince members to vote for him by offering free pizza and Barca-related tattoos in exchange for their signature.\n\n![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/02\/12105556\/GettyImages-2209853199-scaled.jpg)\n\nJordi Farre offered fans free Barcelona tattoos in exchange for their supporting signaturesHesham Elsherif\/Anadolu via Getty Images\n\n“Our campaign needs to set an example for how we want to manage the club,” Farre said in 2015, when presenting his candidacy. “With those activities, the members will know our way of doing things.”\n\nA few weeks later, he conceded the stunt had been a mistake. “I wanted to attract attention, but I ended up losing credibility. I got it wrong,” he said in a press conference.\n\nFarre entered the Barca world after founding the company Agrifood, but he earned greater notoriety in Catalonia for a previous business he worked in — he was involved in the production of adult cinema in 2006.\n\n“I got into it because of my girlfriend, whose parents are involved in the industry, and then my best friend works in an X-rated cinema,” he told local television station TV3 at the time.\n***\n## Joaquim Clusells, 2003\nThe 2003 elections saw the highest number of pre-candidates apply, with 10. Only six made the final cut, though, before Laporta won the vote.\n\nAmong those left out after the supporting signatures stage was Clusells, who led one of the shortest-lived campaigns to become Barca president. His hopes of running the club faded as soon as he finished an interview with TV3.\n\n“With the fans and people I speak to, I have promised that if I become president I will let women get into the first-team dressing room,” he said, adding that there were things “they will want to see”.\n\nWeeks later, Clusells said he thought the microphone was turned off when he said that, and admitted it was a mistake. Clusells, a businessman in the hospitality industry, did not even show up at the club offices with a supporting signature.\n***\n## Francesc Linan, 1993-2010\nLinan was a pre-candidate six times, although he was never close to having the required support for the next step.\n\nAt every election, Linan would turn up at the club’s Camp Nou headquarters with the supporting signatures he had collected. The problem was he only had one — his own.\n\nThe only time he had more than his own support was in 1993, when he collected 14 signatures. Linan once said he presented his own signature to avoid any other pre-candidate duplicating it and using it to their favour.\n\nHe also once owned a small local business in the fur sector. He died in 2017.\n\nYour browser does not support the video tag.\n\n0:02 \/ 4:47\n***\n## Ferran Estrada, 1978-2021\nIf Linan’s six consecutive elections seem like a lot to you, try the 12 campaigns Estrada was involved in over 43 years.\n\nHe became a popular figure among the club’s fanbase in the 1970s as a trumpeter. Estrada was a long-serving season-ticket holder who at the time sat in the Camp Nou’s Gol Sud stand and played songs during games.\n\nEstrada gave his support to official candidate Francesc Arino in the 1978 elections, which were won by Josep Lluis Nunez. After that, he presented himself as a pre-candidate in every election. He never intended to win the thing, but presented himself as the traditional Catalan-born Barca fan who had lived through every significant moment in the club’s history.\n\nIn 1978, he said he would stop playing the trumpet at the Camp Nou if Nunez won. When that happened, Estrada kept his promise — only returning when their legendary former player Johan Cruyff returned to become Barca manager in 1988.\n\n![](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/athletic\/uploads\/wp\/2026\/02\/12105918\/GettyImages-649938648-scaled.jpg)\n\nFerran Estrada only returned as the Camp Nou’s trumpeter when Johan Cruyff was appointed managerNeal Simpson\/EMPICS via Getty Images\n\nIn an interview with Diario Sport in 2021, Estrada said he was at Wembley in 1992 when Barcelona won their first Champions League trophy. He claimed he had started playing his trumpet just before Ronald Koeman scored the winning free kick in extra time against Sampdoria, thus saying his song inspired the Dutch defender to make history.\n\nEstrada was known for turning up at the club’s headquarters with a *barretina*, a traditional Catalan hat. Five years ago, he arrived with his trumpet and played the club anthem, before presenting all the supporting signatures he had collected. He tended to gather around a dozen each time, far from the amount required to become an official candidate. His record was the 87 he gathered in 2021.\n\nEstrada died in 2024, with Barcelona’s social media accounts paying tribute to the beloved — and eccentric — figure.\n\n> El FC Barcelona vol enviar el seu condol als familiars i amistats de Ferran Estrada, icònic barcelonista i precandidat en diversos processos electorals del Club\n> \n> — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona\\_cat) [May 2, 2024](https:\/\/twitter.com\/FCBarcelona_cat\/status\/1786060953454272524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)\n***\n## William Maddock Saint Noble, 2026\nEarlier this month, club member Maddock Saint Noble announced his intention to be a preliminary candidate in the elections. He is an unknown in the Barca world so far and is not expected to make the final cut to be an official candidate — but those low hopes have not held him back.\n\nBorn in Barcelona, he is the grandson of Royston Saint Noble Bywater, a former footballer who played a friendly for Barca in the 1902-03 season, and who is better known as one of the founders of local radio station Radio Barcelona. Maddock Saint Noble also has British citizenship.\n\nIn his announcement, he defined himself as a “low-cost and last-minute” candidate. He said he would make 125 changes to the club’s rules and included his phone number and a Yahoo email address in case anyone wanted to join forces.\n\nMultiple reports in local media claim Maddock Saint Noble was once the president of a Real Madrid fans’ group in Montornes del Valles, the Catalan town where he is based. He denied this when contacted by *The Athletic*, saying he only owned the building where the Madrid fan group used to gather.\n\nHe was once the president of his local team, the amateur club CE Montornes, and in 2020 attempted to become the president of CE Europa, a lower-division Barcelona side who now play in the third tier of Spanish football. He did not gather enough support to become a final candidate, though.\n\nOne of the businesses he is involved in is the Vila del Cerc hotel, on the outskirts of Barcelona. It was once reported he was arrested in the hotel after being accused of stealing possessions from the guests.\n\n“It is true I was arrested,” he told Spanish outlet Cronica Global in quotes published earlier this month. “There were squatters in there, not customers of the hotel. I was detained and we are waiting for the trial. My lawyer told me I will win it.”\n\nMaddock Saint Noble confirmed to *The Athletic* it was true he was arrested, again saying he had squatters living in his property, and that he removed them from the hotel, but did not want to comment further. The trial is still pending.","meta_canonical":null}

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URL	https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7041720/2026/02/18/barcelona-election-candidates-weird-world/
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Meta Title	The weird world of Barcelona election candidates, featuring a trumpeter and a former adult films producer - The Athletic
Meta Description	Barcelona's democratic process often means some fascinating characters put themselves forward to be club president
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	Election season is in full swing at Barcelona. Joan Laporta stepped down from his role as president last week, as the club’s regulations state a candidate must do before they campaign for re-election. Laporta is seeking another term after his first spell from 2003-2010 and his most recent one since 2021. The other confirmed preliminary opposition candidates are Catalan fintech entrepreneur Victor Font, local businessman Marc Ciria and former club executive and head of La Masia, Xavi Vilajoana. They have all stepped up their media activity in recent weeks as they seek to oust Laporta. The only requirements to be eligible to run as a presidential candidate are to be more than 18 years old and to have been a club member for at least a year. But each ‘pre-candidate’ who wishes to stand must also submit 2,337 supporting signatures — a number that is, according to the club’s statutes, more than 50 per cent of the delegate members called up for Barca’s last general assembly. They need to present these before 9pm on March 2 to become an ‘official’ candidate. The decisive vote will be held on March 15 — and The Athletic will have more coverage of the race as it hots up. Being in charge of Barcelona is unique — with presidents managing a global football brand and an intensely local club. Barca’s democratic process is also highly specific in the context of Spanish football — they are only one of four clubs across the country still owned by their members ( socis in Catalan). The process has led to a long list of fascinating characters who have dreamed of becoming Barca president and chanced their arm. Here, we pick out a few. Jordi Farre, 2015 and 2021 Farre will go down in Barca history as the man who launched the no-confidence vote that spelled the end for former president Josep Maria Bartomeu in 2020. But his approach was unusual. He was a pre-candidate in 2015 and 2021, but never secured the required number of signatures to become an official candidate — although it was not for want of effort. Farre gathered around 2,000 signatures on both occasions. In 2015, he attempted to convince members to vote for him by offering free pizza and Barca-related tattoos in exchange for their signature. Jordi Farre offered fans free Barcelona tattoos in exchange for their supporting signatures Hesham Elsherif/Anadolu via Getty Images “Our campaign needs to set an example for how we want to manage the club,” Farre said in 2015, when presenting his candidacy. “With those activities, the members will know our way of doing things.” A few weeks later, he conceded the stunt had been a mistake. “I wanted to attract attention, but I ended up losing credibility. I got it wrong,” he said in a press conference. Farre entered the Barca world after founding the company Agrifood, but he earned greater notoriety in Catalonia for a previous business he worked in — he was involved in the production of adult cinema in 2006. “I got into it because of my girlfriend, whose parents are involved in the industry, and then my best friend works in an X-rated cinema,” he told local television station TV3 at the time. Joaquim Clusells, 2003 The 2003 elections saw the highest number of pre-candidates apply, with 10. Only six made the final cut, though, before Laporta won the vote. Among those left out after the supporting signatures stage was Clusells, who led one of the shortest-lived campaigns to become Barca president. His hopes of running the club faded as soon as he finished an interview with TV3. “With the fans and people I speak to, I have promised that if I become president I will let women get into the first-team dressing room,” he said, adding that there were things “they will want to see”. Weeks later, Clusells said he thought the microphone was turned off when he said that, and admitted it was a mistake. Clusells, a businessman in the hospitality industry, did not even show up at the club offices with a supporting signature. Francesc Linan, 1993-2010 Linan was a pre-candidate six times, although he was never close to having the required support for the next step. At every election, Linan would turn up at the club’s Camp Nou headquarters with the supporting signatures he had collected. The problem was he only had one — his own. The only time he had more than his own support was in 1993, when he collected 14 signatures. Linan once said he presented his own signature to avoid any other pre-candidate duplicating it and using it to their favour. He also once owned a small local business in the fur sector. He died in 2017. Your browser does not support the video tag. 0:02 / 4:47 Ferran Estrada, 1978-2021 If Linan’s six consecutive elections seem like a lot to you, try the 12 campaigns Estrada was involved in over 43 years. He became a popular figure among the club’s fanbase in the 1970s as a trumpeter. Estrada was a long-serving season-ticket holder who at the time sat in the Camp Nou’s Gol Sud stand and played songs during games. Estrada gave his support to official candidate Francesc Arino in the 1978 elections, which were won by Josep Lluis Nunez. After that, he presented himself as a pre-candidate in every election. He never intended to win the thing, but presented himself as the traditional Catalan-born Barca fan who had lived through every significant moment in the club’s history. In 1978, he said he would stop playing the trumpet at the Camp Nou if Nunez won. When that happened, Estrada kept his promise — only returning when their legendary former player Johan Cruyff returned to become Barca manager in 1988. Ferran Estrada only returned as the Camp Nou’s trumpeter when Johan Cruyff was appointed manager Neal Simpson/EMPICS via Getty Images In an interview with Diario Sport in 2021, Estrada said he was at Wembley in 1992 when Barcelona won their first Champions League trophy. He claimed he had started playing his trumpet just before Ronald Koeman scored the winning free kick in extra time against Sampdoria, thus saying his song inspired the Dutch defender to make history. Estrada was known for turning up at the club’s headquarters with a barretina , a traditional Catalan hat. Five years ago, he arrived with his trumpet and played the club anthem, before presenting all the supporting signatures he had collected. He tended to gather around a dozen each time, far from the amount required to become an official candidate. His record was the 87 he gathered in 2021. Estrada died in 2024, with Barcelona’s social media accounts paying tribute to the beloved — and eccentric — figure. El FC Barcelona vol enviar el seu condol als familiars i amistats de Ferran Estrada, icònic barcelonista i precandidat en diversos processos electorals del Club — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_cat) May 2, 2024 William Maddock Saint Noble, 2026 Earlier this month, club member Maddock Saint Noble announced his intention to be a preliminary candidate in the elections. He is an unknown in the Barca world so far and is not expected to make the final cut to be an official candidate — but those low hopes have not held him back. Born in Barcelona, he is the grandson of Royston Saint Noble Bywater, a former footballer who played a friendly for Barca in the 1902-03 season, and who is better known as one of the founders of local radio station Radio Barcelona. Maddock Saint Noble also has British citizenship. In his announcement, he defined himself as a “low-cost and last-minute” candidate. He said he would make 125 changes to the club’s rules and included his phone number and a Yahoo email address in case anyone wanted to join forces. Multiple reports in local media claim Maddock Saint Noble was once the president of a Real Madrid fans’ group in Montornes del Valles, the Catalan town where he is based. He denied this when contacted by The Athletic , saying he only owned the building where the Madrid fan group used to gather. He was once the president of his local team, the amateur club CE Montornes, and in 2020 attempted to become the president of CE Europa, a lower-division Barcelona side who now play in the third tier of Spanish football. He did not gather enough support to become a final candidate, though. One of the businesses he is involved in is the Vila del Cerc hotel, on the outskirts of Barcelona. It was once reported he was arrested in the hotel after being accused of stealing possessions from the guests. “It is true I was arrested,” he told Spanish outlet Cronica Global in quotes published earlier this month. “There were squatters in there, not customers of the hotel. I was detained and we are waiting for the trial. My lawyer told me I will win it.” Maddock Saint Noble confirmed to The Athletic it was true he was arrested, again saying he had squatters living in his property, and that he removed them from the hotel, but did not want to comment further. The trial is still pending.
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In](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/login2/?ref_page=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fathletic%2F7041720%2F2026%2F02%2F18%2Fbarcelona-election-candidates-weird-world%2F&login_source=site_nav&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fathletic%2F7041720%2F2026%2F02%2F18%2Fbarcelona-election-candidates-weird-world%2F) # The weird world of Barcelona election candidates, featuring a trumpeter and a former adult films producer ![The late Barcelona fan and trumpeter Ferran Estrada outside the Camp Nou in August 2020](https://static01.nyt.com/athletic/uploads/wp/2026/02/12110654/GettyImages-1228217232-1024x683.jpg?width=1920&quality=70&auto=webp) The late Barcelona fan and trumpeter Ferran Estrada outside the Camp Nou in August 2020 Matthias Oesterle/picture alliance via Getty Images [![](data:image/svg+xml,%3csvg%20xmlns=%27http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%27%20version=%271.1%27%20width=%2740%27%20height=%2740%27/%3e)![Pol Ballús](https://static01.nyt.com/athletic/uploads/wp/2022/10/11110507/Ballus-Pol-Complete.jpg?width=96&quality=70&auto=webp) ![Pol Ballús](https://static01.nyt.com/athletic/uploads/wp/2022/10/11110507/Ballus-Pol-Complete.jpg?width=96&quality=70&auto=webp)](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/pol-ballus/) By [Pol Ballús](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/pol-ballus/) Feb. 18, 2026 Share full article 3 Election season is in full swing at Barcelona. Joan Laporta stepped down from his role as president last week, as the club’s regulations state a candidate must do before they campaign for re-election. Laporta is seeking another term after his first spell from 2003-2010 and his most recent one since 2021. Advertisement The other confirmed preliminary opposition candidates are Catalan fintech entrepreneur Victor Font, local businessman Marc Ciria and former club executive and head of La Masia, Xavi Vilajoana. They have all stepped up their media activity in recent weeks as they seek to oust Laporta. The only requirements to be eligible to run as a presidential candidate are to be more than 18 years old and to have been a club member for at least a year. But each ‘pre-candidate’ who wishes to stand must also submit 2,337 supporting signatures — a number that is, according to the club’s statutes, more than 50 per cent of the delegate members called up for Barca’s last general assembly. They need to present these before 9pm on March 2 to become an ‘official’ candidate. The decisive vote will be held on March 15 — and The Athletic will have more coverage of the race as it hots up. Being in charge of Barcelona is unique — with presidents managing a global football brand and an intensely local club. Barca’s democratic process is also highly specific in the context of Spanish football — they are only one of four clubs across the country still owned by their members (socis in Catalan). The process has led to a long list of fascinating characters who have dreamed of becoming Barca president and chanced their arm. Here, we pick out a few. [What You Should Read Next ![Lionel Messi politics and Ronaldinho on the bongos: It’s election season at Barcelona](https://static01.nyt.com/athletic/uploads/wp/2025/12/17093731/GettyImages-1232436610-1-scaled.jpg?width=400&quality=70) Lionel Messi politics and Ronaldinho on the bongos: It’s election season at Barcelona Several opponents to Joan Laporta's presidency have already stated their intention to run against him](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6896317/2025/12/18/barcelona-messi-laporta-elections/) * ## Jordi Farre, 2015 and 2021 Farre will go down in Barca history as the man who launched the no-confidence vote that spelled the end for former president Josep Maria Bartomeu in 2020. But his approach was unusual. He was a pre-candidate in 2015 and 2021, but never secured the required number of signatures to become an official candidate — although it was not for want of effort. Farre gathered around 2,000 signatures on both occasions. In 2015, he attempted to convince members to vote for him by offering free pizza and Barca-related tattoos in exchange for their signature. ![](https://static01.nyt.com/athletic/uploads/wp/2026/02/12105556/GettyImages-2209853199-scaled.jpg) Jordi Farre offered fans free Barcelona tattoos in exchange for their supporting signaturesHesham Elsherif/Anadolu via Getty Images “Our campaign needs to set an example for how we want to manage the club,” Farre said in 2015, when presenting his candidacy. “With those activities, the members will know our way of doing things.” Advertisement A few weeks later, he conceded the stunt had been a mistake. “I wanted to attract attention, but I ended up losing credibility. I got it wrong,” he said in a press conference. Farre entered the Barca world after founding the company Agrifood, but he earned greater notoriety in Catalonia for a previous business he worked in — he was involved in the production of adult cinema in 2006. “I got into it because of my girlfriend, whose parents are involved in the industry, and then my best friend works in an X-rated cinema,” he told local television station TV3 at the time. * ## Joaquim Clusells, 2003 The 2003 elections saw the highest number of pre-candidates apply, with 10. Only six made the final cut, though, before Laporta won the vote. Among those left out after the supporting signatures stage was Clusells, who led one of the shortest-lived campaigns to become Barca president. His hopes of running the club faded as soon as he finished an interview with TV3. “With the fans and people I speak to, I have promised that if I become president I will let women get into the first-team dressing room,” he said, adding that there were things “they will want to see”. Weeks later, Clusells said he thought the microphone was turned off when he said that, and admitted it was a mistake. Clusells, a businessman in the hospitality industry, did not even show up at the club offices with a supporting signature. * ## Francesc Linan, 1993-2010 Linan was a pre-candidate six times, although he was never close to having the required support for the next step. At every election, Linan would turn up at the club’s Camp Nou headquarters with the supporting signatures he had collected. The problem was he only had one — his own. The only time he had more than his own support was in 1993, when he collected 14 signatures. Linan once said he presented his own signature to avoid any other pre-candidate duplicating it and using it to their favour. He also once owned a small local business in the fur sector. He died in 2017. 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Advertisement He became a popular figure among the club’s fanbase in the 1970s as a trumpeter. Estrada was a long-serving season-ticket holder who at the time sat in the Camp Nou’s Gol Sud stand and played songs during games. Estrada gave his support to official candidate Francesc Arino in the 1978 elections, which were won by Josep Lluis Nunez. After that, he presented himself as a pre-candidate in every election. He never intended to win the thing, but presented himself as the traditional Catalan-born Barca fan who had lived through every significant moment in the club’s history. In 1978, he said he would stop playing the trumpet at the Camp Nou if Nunez won. When that happened, Estrada kept his promise — only returning when their legendary former player Johan Cruyff returned to become Barca manager in 1988. ![](https://static01.nyt.com/athletic/uploads/wp/2026/02/12105918/GettyImages-649938648-scaled.jpg) Ferran Estrada only returned as the Camp Nou’s trumpeter when Johan Cruyff was appointed managerNeal Simpson/EMPICS via Getty Images In an interview with Diario Sport in 2021, Estrada said he was at Wembley in 1992 when Barcelona won their first Champions League trophy. He claimed he had started playing his trumpet just before Ronald Koeman scored the winning free kick in extra time against Sampdoria, thus saying his song inspired the Dutch defender to make history. Estrada was known for turning up at the club’s headquarters with a barretina, a traditional Catalan hat. Five years ago, he arrived with his trumpet and played the club anthem, before presenting all the supporting signatures he had collected. He tended to gather around a dozen each time, far from the amount required to become an official candidate. His record was the 87 he gathered in 2021. Estrada died in 2024, with Barcelona’s social media accounts paying tribute to the beloved — and eccentric — figure. > El FC Barcelona vol enviar el seu condol als familiars i amistats de Ferran Estrada, icònic barcelonista i precandidat en diversos processos electorals del Club > > — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona\_cat) [May 2, 2024](https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona_cat/status/1786060953454272524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) *** ## William Maddock Saint Noble, 2026 Earlier this month, club member Maddock Saint Noble announced his intention to be a preliminary candidate in the elections. He is an unknown in the Barca world so far and is not expected to make the final cut to be an official candidate — but those low hopes have not held him back. Advertisement Born in Barcelona, he is the grandson of Royston Saint Noble Bywater, a former footballer who played a friendly for Barca in the 1902-03 season, and who is better known as one of the founders of local radio station Radio Barcelona. Maddock Saint Noble also has British citizenship. In his announcement, he defined himself as a “low-cost and last-minute” candidate. He said he would make 125 changes to the club’s rules and included his phone number and a Yahoo email address in case anyone wanted to join forces. Multiple reports in local media claim Maddock Saint Noble was once the president of a Real Madrid fans’ group in Montornes del Valles, the Catalan town where he is based. He denied this when contacted by The Athletic, saying he only owned the building where the Madrid fan group used to gather. He was once the president of his local team, the amateur club CE Montornes, and in 2020 attempted to become the president of CE Europa, a lower-division Barcelona side who now play in the third tier of Spanish football. He did not gather enough support to become a final candidate, though. One of the businesses he is involved in is the Vila del Cerc hotel, on the outskirts of Barcelona. It was once reported he was arrested in the hotel after being accused of stealing possessions from the guests. “It is true I was arrested,” he told Spanish outlet Cronica Global in quotes published earlier this month. “There were squatters in there, not customers of the hotel. I was detained and we are waiting for the trial. My lawyer told me I will win it.” Maddock Saint Noble confirmed to The Athletic it was true he was arrested, again saying he had squatters living in his property, and that he removed them from the hotel, but did not want to comment further. The trial is still pending. [![](data:image/svg+xml,%3csvg%20xmlns=%27http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%27%20version=%271.1%27%20width=%2740%27%20height=%2740%27/%3e)![Pol Ballús](https://static01.nyt.com/athletic/uploads/wp/2022/10/11110507/Ballus-Pol-Complete.jpg?width=96&quality=70&auto=webp)](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/pol-ballus/) By [Pol Ballús](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/pol-ballus/) Football Writer, FC Barcelona Tagged To: [La Liga](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/football/la-liga/) [Soccer](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/football/) [Sports Business](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/sports-business/) [Barcelona](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/football/team/fc-barcelona/) Your Next Read [Inside Barcelona: How will Hansi Flick react to his team’s worst performances of the season?](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7051917/2026/02/17/barcelona-girona-hansi-flick-la-liga-real-madrid/) [Inside Real Madrid: Trent’s return, Arbeloa’s Benfica pressure, Mbappe fitness 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Mar 7, 2026 ## Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle ![](data:image/svg+xml,%3csvg%20xmlns=%27http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%27%20version=%271.1%27%20width=%27100%27%20height=%27100%27/%3e)![Pol Ballús](https://static01.nyt.com/athletic/uploads/wp/2022/10/11110507/Ballus-Pol-Complete.jpg?width=256&quality=70&auto=webp) ![Pol Ballús](https://static01.nyt.com/athletic/uploads/wp/2022/10/11110507/Ballus-Pol-Complete.jpg?width=256&quality=70&auto=webp) Pol joined The Athletic in 2021, initially moving to Manchester to assist us with our Manchester City, Manchester United and Spanish reporting. Since 2015 he worked as an English football correspondent for multiple Spanish media, as well as working The Times. In 2019, he co-wrote the book Pep’s City: The Making of a Superteam. He is now back in Spain, covering FC Barcelona for The Athletic. Follow Pol on Twitter [@polballus](https://twitter.com/polballus) COMMENTS 3 K Kevin M. · Feb 18 Great article. Love to read about all these characters. *** M Mick B. · Feb 18 As a relatively new fan to the team (2 years in), I find all of this amazing and quite unique compared to my experiences with the way US Pro teams are run. 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Readable Markdown	Election season is in full swing at Barcelona. Joan Laporta stepped down from his role as president last week, as the club’s regulations state a candidate must do before they campaign for re-election. Laporta is seeking another term after his first spell from 2003-2010 and his most recent one since 2021. The other confirmed preliminary opposition candidates are Catalan fintech entrepreneur Victor Font, local businessman Marc Ciria and former club executive and head of La Masia, Xavi Vilajoana. They have all stepped up their media activity in recent weeks as they seek to oust Laporta. The only requirements to be eligible to run as a presidential candidate are to be more than 18 years old and to have been a club member for at least a year. But each ‘pre-candidate’ who wishes to stand must also submit 2,337 supporting signatures — a number that is, according to the club’s statutes, more than 50 per cent of the delegate members called up for Barca’s last general assembly. They need to present these before 9pm on March 2 to become an ‘official’ candidate. The decisive vote will be held on March 15 — and The Athletic will have more coverage of the race as it hots up. Being in charge of Barcelona is unique — with presidents managing a global football brand and an intensely local club. Barca’s democratic process is also highly specific in the context of Spanish football — they are only one of four clubs across the country still owned by their members (socis in Catalan). The process has led to a long list of fascinating characters who have dreamed of becoming Barca president and chanced their arm. Here, we pick out a few. * ## Jordi Farre, 2015 and 2021 Farre will go down in Barca history as the man who launched the no-confidence vote that spelled the end for former president Josep Maria Bartomeu in 2020. But his approach was unusual. He was a pre-candidate in 2015 and 2021, but never secured the required number of signatures to become an official candidate — although it was not for want of effort. Farre gathered around 2,000 signatures on both occasions. In 2015, he attempted to convince members to vote for him by offering free pizza and Barca-related tattoos in exchange for their signature. ![](https://static01.nyt.com/athletic/uploads/wp/2026/02/12105556/GettyImages-2209853199-scaled.jpg) Jordi Farre offered fans free Barcelona tattoos in exchange for their supporting signaturesHesham Elsherif/Anadolu via Getty Images “Our campaign needs to set an example for how we want to manage the club,” Farre said in 2015, when presenting his candidacy. “With those activities, the members will know our way of doing things.” A few weeks later, he conceded the stunt had been a mistake. “I wanted to attract attention, but I ended up losing credibility. I got it wrong,” he said in a press conference. Farre entered the Barca world after founding the company Agrifood, but he earned greater notoriety in Catalonia for a previous business he worked in — he was involved in the production of adult cinema in 2006. “I got into it because of my girlfriend, whose parents are involved in the industry, and then my best friend works in an X-rated cinema,” he told local television station TV3 at the time. * ## Joaquim Clusells, 2003 The 2003 elections saw the highest number of pre-candidates apply, with 10. Only six made the final cut, though, before Laporta won the vote. Among those left out after the supporting signatures stage was Clusells, who led one of the shortest-lived campaigns to become Barca president. His hopes of running the club faded as soon as he finished an interview with TV3. “With the fans and people I speak to, I have promised that if I become president I will let women get into the first-team dressing room,” he said, adding that there were things “they will want to see”. Weeks later, Clusells said he thought the microphone was turned off when he said that, and admitted it was a mistake. Clusells, a businessman in the hospitality industry, did not even show up at the club offices with a supporting signature. * ## Francesc Linan, 1993-2010 Linan was a pre-candidate six times, although he was never close to having the required support for the next step. At every election, Linan would turn up at the club’s Camp Nou headquarters with the supporting signatures he had collected. The problem was he only had one — his own. The only time he had more than his own support was in 1993, when he collected 14 signatures. Linan once said he presented his own signature to avoid any other pre-candidate duplicating it and using it to their favour. He also once owned a small local business in the fur sector. He died in 2017. Your browser does not support the video tag. 0:02 / 4:47 * ## Ferran Estrada, 1978-2021 If Linan’s six consecutive elections seem like a lot to you, try the 12 campaigns Estrada was involved in over 43 years. He became a popular figure among the club’s fanbase in the 1970s as a trumpeter. Estrada was a long-serving season-ticket holder who at the time sat in the Camp Nou’s Gol Sud stand and played songs during games. Estrada gave his support to official candidate Francesc Arino in the 1978 elections, which were won by Josep Lluis Nunez. After that, he presented himself as a pre-candidate in every election. He never intended to win the thing, but presented himself as the traditional Catalan-born Barca fan who had lived through every significant moment in the club’s history. In 1978, he said he would stop playing the trumpet at the Camp Nou if Nunez won. When that happened, Estrada kept his promise — only returning when their legendary former player Johan Cruyff returned to become Barca manager in 1988. ![](https://static01.nyt.com/athletic/uploads/wp/2026/02/12105918/GettyImages-649938648-scaled.jpg) Ferran Estrada only returned as the Camp Nou’s trumpeter when Johan Cruyff was appointed managerNeal Simpson/EMPICS via Getty Images In an interview with Diario Sport in 2021, Estrada said he was at Wembley in 1992 when Barcelona won their first Champions League trophy. He claimed he had started playing his trumpet just before Ronald Koeman scored the winning free kick in extra time against Sampdoria, thus saying his song inspired the Dutch defender to make history. Estrada was known for turning up at the club’s headquarters with a barretina, a traditional Catalan hat. Five years ago, he arrived with his trumpet and played the club anthem, before presenting all the supporting signatures he had collected. He tended to gather around a dozen each time, far from the amount required to become an official candidate. His record was the 87 he gathered in 2021. Estrada died in 2024, with Barcelona’s social media accounts paying tribute to the beloved — and eccentric — figure. > El FC Barcelona vol enviar el seu condol als familiars i amistats de Ferran Estrada, icònic barcelonista i precandidat en diversos processos electorals del Club > > — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona\_cat) [May 2, 2024](https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona_cat/status/1786060953454272524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) *** ## William Maddock Saint Noble, 2026 Earlier this month, club member Maddock Saint Noble announced his intention to be a preliminary candidate in the elections. He is an unknown in the Barca world so far and is not expected to make the final cut to be an official candidate — but those low hopes have not held him back. Born in Barcelona, he is the grandson of Royston Saint Noble Bywater, a former footballer who played a friendly for Barca in the 1902-03 season, and who is better known as one of the founders of local radio station Radio Barcelona. Maddock Saint Noble also has British citizenship. In his announcement, he defined himself as a “low-cost and last-minute” candidate. He said he would make 125 changes to the club’s rules and included his phone number and a Yahoo email address in case anyone wanted to join forces. Multiple reports in local media claim Maddock Saint Noble was once the president of a Real Madrid fans’ group in Montornes del Valles, the Catalan town where he is based. He denied this when contacted by The Athletic, saying he only owned the building where the Madrid fan group used to gather. He was once the president of his local team, the amateur club CE Montornes, and in 2020 attempted to become the president of CE Europa, a lower-division Barcelona side who now play in the third tier of Spanish football. He did not gather enough support to become a final candidate, though. One of the businesses he is involved in is the Vila del Cerc hotel, on the outskirts of Barcelona. It was once reported he was arrested in the hotel after being accused of stealing possessions from the guests. “It is true I was arrested,” he told Spanish outlet Cronica Global in quotes published earlier this month. “There were squatters in there, not customers of the hotel. I was detained and we are waiting for the trial. My lawyer told me I will win it.” Maddock Saint Noble confirmed to The Athletic it was true he was arrested, again saying he had squatters living in his property, and that he removed them from the hotel, but did not want to comment further. The trial is still pending.
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