Joan Laporta Confirms Atletico Madrid Feud with Gil Marin Is Over
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has declared his dispute with Atletico Madrid chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin over after the pair embraced at the European Football Clubs’ 33rd General Assembly in Copenhagen.
Laporta said the end of the transfer window had helped remove the friction that flared during Barcelona’s pursuit of Alvarez. “Gil Marin and I have hugged,” he said after the meeting in Denmark.
The Barcelona president later underlined that he believes the relationship is back on track. “We met and hugged. I am convinced we have put it behind us and that everything is clear from now on. He is a great person and I am very comfortable with him.”
Transfer row put aside
Relations between the Spanish clubs had deteriorated sharply during the latest window, when Barcelona’s interest in Alvarez angered Atletico’s hierarchy.
Gil Marin had publicly criticised Laporta and the Barcelona board, describing the club’s transfer-market conduct as a “private circus”. Atletico were unhappy that Barcelona had spoken openly about a player tied to another club while the Catalan side’s financial position remained under scrutiny from La Liga.
Both executives have now used the Copenhagen gathering to draw a line under the exchange, ending a public confrontation that had become one of the summer’s major La Liga boardroom disputes.
Barcelona regain EFC voting status
The assembly also marked a significant step in Barcelona’s return to the European football establishment. Laporta had attended an EFC meeting in Rome late in 2025 as a guest, but Copenhagen confirmed the club’s reinstatement as a full member with voting rights.
Barcelona had spent a period on the margins of the organisation following their involvement in the European Super League project. Restoring their role within the EFC has been a key political objective for Laporta as he looks to rebuild the club’s influence across Europe.
Paris Saint-Germain president and EFC leader Nasser Al-Khelaifi offered a public welcome to Laporta during the event, telling him: “Welcome back to the family.” Al-Khelaifi had been among the prominent opponents of the Super League breakaway.
Laporta also continued work on improving Barcelona’s relationship with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin. Their ties had been deeply strained after the Super League launch in 2021, which triggered legal disputes and the threat of disciplinary action, but the two sides have found more common ground over the last year on European competition issues.
