In a recent interview with La Vanguardia, The President of F. C. Barcelona Laporta’s yet again publicly spoken of his desires and the club’s financial situation. He has spoken about the ownership model, the economy of the club, the Espai Barca project, Messi and signings. He also takes a dig at the former board of the club’s current financial restriction. His interview has let known what Barcelona fans can expect in the coming months for the club. The fans feel there are a lot of positive key takeaways from this interview.
On Espai Barça Project
“I think we are going to reduce the budget for the stadium and for the contingencies, in fact, it is already happening. We are very close to being able to cut the €1,100M that was said. I think we will be at €960M and perhaps €930M if everything goes well.”
Laporta‘s view on‘ Montjuïc stadium next year
“Next year will not be easy. We are moving to a stadium that has half the capacity of the Camp Nou. Going up to the stadium of Montjuïc is uncomfortable. Although it doesn’t seem that much to me. In Montjuïc, we have some limitations set by the Barcelona City Council. There are many events and concerts planned and it will be very difficult to fit their matches there. But I think the women’s team deserves to continue playing the Champions League in stadiums with a higher capacity than Johan Cruyff’s. That’s why we’ll propose that they play in some stadiums in Catalonia.”
Is the club in better financial condition than they were initially?
“The club is better economically, sportingly, socially, and institutionally. But the situation we are in is because of the previous board. He further adds that I am not worried, I am busy. When we arrived it was critical but we are able to react and save the club from bankruptcy. we started the recovery by restructuring the debt and the levers allowed us to return to profit for the first time in many years.”
On sponsorships
“Although it is difficult to get income the club will obtain a record of sponsorships this season and when we close the accounts it will be verified. For next year we have already covered 95% of the sponsorship budget. The club is very attractive to investors and sponsors who believe in our history and in the Barça feeling.”
On potential Sales and Signings, La Masia and Deco
“I think we can reach an agreement with Tottenham for Lenglet. Kessié has not told us anything formally yet, but if he decides to leave, we will respect his decision. If he decides to stay, he can be useful for us. Oriol Romeu is an ex La Masia and he had a great season at Girona. The technical area is looking at options such as these. We will announce Deco’s appointment officially in mid-July. He will have the same role as Txiki Begiristain in my first tenure.”
Pivot situation
“The pivot situation for Barca has caused the most headache for the club and manager Xavi. Xavi insisted he wanted a top pivot signing this summer before the pre-season but however, the president has his mind set on the development of the La masia youngsters. “Xavi fully understands our situation. He knows that some of the options are unrealistic and it would be wrong to sign any of them. It would halt the development of Marc Casadó, Pau Prim, Gerard Hernández, and Marc Bernal. First, we have to look at the players we have.” This is a cause of concern for Xavi’s team but Laporta has said Xavi understands it. It will be an interesting turn around in the summer window.”
Laporta’s recent Qatar visit has garnered attention among the football world
“The club’s financial state is in a delicate situation and there are some opportunities we can’t ignore. I had a meeting with a businessman from Qatar who is interested in cooperating with Barça. ”
On Messi
“I wish Messi all the best. We are preparing a huge tribute for him. It would be great to do the ceremony at the new Spotify Camp Nou. We owe Messi money until 2025 as he had to defer his salary under the previous board.”
Joan Laporta’s latest assurance to the fans has received positive attention among the culers and believe their club will compete for every title in the following season. Barca who are very active in the transfer window despite their economic struggles have attained a league title with a very young squad and they are about to invest in young players this season as well. The Likes of Arda Güler and Vitor Roque are even mentioned by President Laporta.
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