Who is Manana Giorgadze, the ‘president’ of Joan Laporta’s Barça

In this second term, the head of the presidential cabinet, of Georgian origin, has the highest confidence of the president. All important folders pass through his hands before reaching Laporta. Anyone who wants to make an appointment with Barcelona’s top manager is most likely to come across the phrase “talk to Manana”. She is the last filter before reaching Laporta. “Jan likes his intuition,” continues the same source close to the president. “He has the club on his mind, just like him. No one has as much knowledge of the current situation of the organization as the two of them”, says, for his part, a Barça worker. In addition, he adds: “He is the only trusted executive member appointed by Laporta in this second term who is competent for Barça”.

In fact, given the lack of a CEO since the departure of Ferran Reverter in February 2022, he explains that Giorgadze, on a day-to-day basis, “performs some typical functions of this position”. However, club sources point out to ARA that the person who is still closest to the role of Reverter is Maribel Meléndez, director of the corporate area. “Meléndez brings together more departments, is more executive”, they say. For his part, Giorgadze “has more dedication to the institutional sphere of Barça”. He convenes weekly meetings with the communication department, led by Àlex Santos, and institutional relations and protocol, with Jordi Gómez in charge. In addition, it manages certain internal conflicts that may exist. In this sense, he puts into practice his knowledge of psychology, his profession together with that of linguist.

Another person who has worked with her at Barça, on the other hand, says that Giorgadze “executes decisions, but at a distance”. To draw up this profile, ARA has gathered voices from five sources close to the chief of staff and Laporta and they all agreed on one thing: he is the president’s most trusted person within the club because he knows he will never betray him. “He trusts her 100%, more than Enric Masip (deputy to the presidency) and Rafa Yuste (sports vice-president and childhood friend)”, points out one of the sources. In fact, recently Masip has had some trouble with the president. The reason, according to those around Laporta, is that the ex-captain of the handball section “made the mistake of messing with Xavier Puig [directiu responsable del futbol femení i gran amic de Laporta] and with women’s affairs”.

Family files and the list of the presidential box

Although the sources consulted consider Giorgadze a great professional, there are certain decisions he has made during Laporta’s second term that have not pleased some people within the club. One of the most prominent are the signings of his relatives. Benny Magrelishvili, his nephew, has entered the presidential cabinet; and one of his daughters, Paloma Mikadze, has taken up the position of Barça’s digital strategy director after having been in charge of social networks and content for the Barcelona bridal fashion brand Rosa Clarà. Paloma Mikadze is one influencer who has 53,000 followers on Instagram.

Another of Giorgadze’s tasks within the club is the selection of guests for the Camp Nou box office at Barça’s home matches, together with Laporta himself and coordinating with the institutional relations and protocol department. A person who often attends the box office complains, however, that “there are matches that until a few hours before they start you don’t know if you will take place or not”. On the other hand, he adds that “things happen there that shouldn’t happen, like it being almost empty when the second half starts because the attendees are entertaining themselves with the catering or there are guests who leave 10 minutes before the end of the game “. Two facts, these last two, that escape the control of Manana Giorgadze, essential right-hand man to understand – and sometimes sustain – Joan Laporta’s second government at Barça.