Laporta’s gamble might bring his term to an early end

Welcome to the Barcelona circus. Every day we hear another piece of news that make us shake our head in disbelief. It doesn’t even matter anymore if I think Xavi should stay as a coach or not. You just don’t treat a legend of the club that way. Furthermore, you don’t treat your worker that way. This screams unprofessionalism, and it could end Laporta’s second term as a president. And this term was full of weird events.

Do you know any other elite club where journalists get a message that the president is unhappy with the coach less than 1 hour before kickoff? Only in Barcelona.

Do you know another elite club where professional executives leave all the time, and the president replaces them with his own ‘Yes Men’? Only in Barcelona.

Do you know another elite club where they pay around 200M Euros to one agent’s players during 15 years, and most of them flop (Andre Curry)? Only in Barcelona.

At this point, it doesn’t even matter if Xavi stays or goes. Furthermore, even if Flick/Marquez will win everything next season, the way that this whole situation was handled was just poor.

A broader look on Laporta

Joan Laporta returned to the club as the ‘messiah’ 3 years ago. But the Laporta’s 2^nd term was nothing like his 1^st term. He met a broken club that needed a financial rescue, and he did some good moves to achieve financial stability. We’re not there, but we are improving. 

However, I don’t know if it’s the tension of this whole situation, or the fact that he can’t just spend money on any player that he wants. But Laporta’s 2^nd term will forever be remembered for the way he treated club legends. Messi, Koeman and now probably Xavi – All left through the backdoor. And that’s shameful.

Now what?

We will have a lot to say about Xavi if he will leave next week. Moreover, we will have a lot to say about Hansi Flick or Marquez, if one of them will join. But one thing is sure right now: In the current environment of FC Barcelona, it will be almost impossible to succeed here in the long term. 

The way that Journalists know and report all the time is unhealthy. The fact that Xavi gets his updates from the media and no one is talking to him and explaining the whole situation with him – is a disgrace.   

Barcelona’s squad needs changes, for sure. I also had my issues with some of Xavi’s decisions. And I think that if Xavi really wanted to leave, the right thing to do was just to let him go. But if you begged Xavi to stay, and he eventually decided to stay and you did a whole press conference about that – You just don’t go and throw it all away 3 weeks later.

Joan Laporta’s 2^nd term is on the line now. What would be his next moves? Once again, prepare yourself for a LONG summer.

Marco