Overview
- Club president Joan Laporta was taken to the private Hospital de Barcelona for treatment of a heart rhythm disturbance and underwent a corrective procedure on his doctors’ recommendation.
- Laporta posted that the operation went well, his heartbeat is now regular, and he expressed gratitude to the treating cardiologists, hospital staff and his family.
- The hospital visit and procedure mean Laporta will not visit the Barcelona squad at St. George’s Park during the team’s preseason preparations.
- The club has released no long-term prognosis and reporting indicates the episode was short-term and treated promptly by specialists.
- Laporta, 64, was re-elected president in mid-May and normally accompanies the team during preseason, so his absence has both practical and symbolic effects on club visibility and leadership during the run-up to the new season.