Joan Laporta turned up as one of the most prominent figures at the traditional Cercle de la Fonteta dinner on Saturday night, just hours before Barcelona met Real Madrid in the Clásico. At the private residence of businessman Luis Conde, he shared a table with Enrique Riquelme, a former candidate for the Real Madrid presidency.
That is why Laporta’s name is being searched now: the dinner came on the eve of the biggest match on the calendar, and his place at the table carried more weight than an ordinary social appearance. The setting brought together figures linked to economic and political power, with Juanma Moreno Bonilla, Josep Oliu and Fernando López Miras also attending, placing Barcelona’s president in a room where football and influence mixed easily.
Riquelme’s presence gave the night an extra layer. He once stood for the Real Madrid presidency and lost to Florentino Pérez, which made his table with Laporta more than a polite coincidence at a dinner that regularly gathers public figures and business leaders. Sport reported the seating arrangement, while Sandro Rosell also approached Laporta during the meeting to greet him.
The Cercle de la Fonteta dinner is regarded as one of the key social gatherings for Catalan elites, and this year it arrived immediately before Barcelona and Real Madrid took the field at Spotify Camp Nou. EFE later reported Barcelona’s 1-2 loss to Real Madrid on 25 Oct, but the pre-match image that lingered was Laporta at a table with a man tied to Real Madrid’s own presidential history. What remains unanswered is whether the two men discussed football, club politics or nothing beyond the dinner itself.
