You can read more about cookie policy in our, 10 facts you dont know about Victor Font, assured all Barca members that Messi would go nowhere. Barcelona president Joan Laporta claims LaLiga chief Javier Tebas is to blame for Lionel Messi's exit. Neither Bartomeu, nor Laporta, want to change things to make it more accountable and professional. Mar 26, 2022 42 Amid the celebrations of Barcelona s 4-0 Clasico victory at Real Madrid last Sunday, the clubs most powerful and influential figures came down to the As revealed by Mundo Deportivo, he said, "Jorge told us that he [Messi] had decided on Inter Miami because he had spent some very hard seasons in Paris, where he was under a lot of pressure, that in Miami he would be calmer and could think about the national team. Messi, who won six Ballons dOr with Barca before picking up a seventh while at PSG, saw his contract expire at Camp Nou last summer. With FC Barcelonas presidential elections set in place for January 24, 2021, prospective candidates have been announcing their campaigns. Entries by 3pm Saturday. They also said that nobody will be hired to replace Reverter as chief executive; instead, the president is now taking an even more active role in the day to day decision-making. It was something that was discussed with Jorge [Lionel Messi's father and agent] and everything was defined. The job of fixing Barcas finances will dominate this presidency, and the next, says the financier socio. There remains a real possibility that more senior players will be sold this summer should other revenue sources not materialise. Victor Font, Barcelona socio and a presidential rival to Laporta recently held a press conference. We have signed Gundogan and Martinez and they will give us great performances like the others that are going to come. Xavi immediately instigated a shake-up of the clubs medical and scouting departments. Barcelona president Joan Laporta didn't so much make Messi his priority as his everything. Transforming the almost-bankrupt Barcelona that Laporta inherited into a profitable operation is certainly a challenge, but the feeling remains that these idiosyncrasies are a big reason the club got into this mess. Lives on Korean dramas and books and can often be heard talking about armchair psychological stuff. The president needs the new signings help. Mbappe in the Premier League next season? The Catalan outfit agreed to sign the Brazilian from Athletico-PR for a reported 40m ($44.1m) fee. FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has closed a 'total agreement' to sign Lionel Messi, according to El Nacional. Lots of decisions were being made for different reasons, and without a clear sense of an overarching plan. Joan Laporta appeared before the media on Monday to explain his version of the whole Negreira case. "We can say that Vitor Roque is a done deal," Laporta said. This will completely remodel the stadium and its surrounding areas, to generate significantly more income, both on match days and through other activities money which can then be used to pay off the loan. Font described Barcelona as a train heading straight for a wall at 200kmh and whoever wins will take over a club with a recognised debt of 488m (420m) and a total figure closer to a billion, the need to renovate the Camp Nou and doubts over the future of Lionel Messi, on which everything else depends. However multiple sources say that the situation has become increasingly chaotic as doors have kept revolving in many different departments. Bartomeu, who came to power after Sandro Rosell had to step down because of the furore over the fee the club paid for Neymar and then won elections in 2015, resigned in October knowing he could not win the vote of no confidence brought against him. The game and that photo definitely lifted spirits among fans who had suffered through three years since Barcelonas last Clasico victory. Similar moves have also been taken to improve the clubs overall financial position. It was Fonts idea to install Xavi as the head coach as soon as he becomes the president. If we had to choose between Messi and Haaland, today, most socios would go for Haaland, says a source very in tune with the feeling among Barcelona members. The scandal became known as "Barcagate" in local media, with the club paying 980,000 ($1.1 million) for the I3 Ventures campaign. Barcelona should have sacked coach Ronald Koeman before Wednesday's 1-0 La Liga defeat at Rayo Vallecano, club president Joan Laporta said on Friday. He was also vital in organising and promoting the relaunched Espai Barca Nou Camp rebuild project giving a key press conference before Octobers club AGM which persuaded initially sceptical socios about the wisdom of taking on even more debt to renovate the stadium. One of the current boards first big moves was to refinance the debts, replacing short-term liabilities with a new 600 million long-term deal with Goldman Sachs at a lower interest rate. His election victory, easily beating only real challenger Victor Font, was all about socios, as the clubs members are known, wanting to return the club to its traditional values. His campaigns key financial spokesperson was former CaixaBank director Jaume Giro. The clock is also ticking on the plan to sell a share in Barca Studios, as the clubs projected accounts for this year already include a provision of 50 million from this source. Read the full transcript here. The video was published several hours after Barcas current president Joan Laporta had spoken about Madrid. FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has insisted that signing club legend Xavi Hernandez is the best decision he has made during his second mandate and that the Catalans are going to win La Liga. The swing in Dembeles circumstances is symbolic of Laportas first 12 months. Barcelona president Joan Laporta had to be asked to leave the match officials' dressing room after demanding an explanation for certain decisions in his side's defeat to Real Madrid on Sunday. However, president Laporta has been working towards triggering the economic levers that could drag the club out of the muddle. It is good to have trusted people, but you need the best professional for each role trust can come with time, one source says. Joan Laporta was re-elected as Barcelona president in March 2021. Barca returned to preseason training earlier this week and have made two signings in the transfer window so far -- Ilkay Gundogan and Iigo Martinez. It is a moderate joy, but we are on the right path. Therefore, the Bara board resigned and constituted a Management Committee, After the collective resignation of the Board of Directors presided by Enric Reyna on 6 May, an interim Management Committee, headed by the president of the Statutory-Economic Commission, took over the management of the Club as indicated by the Club Statutes, Enric Reyna Martnez became president of FC Barcelona on February 12, 2003, after Joan Gaspart had publicly announced that he was resigning from the position, Joan Gaspart i Solves became president of FC Barcelona on July 23, 2000, following an election with an extraordinarily high turnout, with 45,888 votes cast (almost half of eligible voters), On May 6, 1978, Josep Llus Nez (Barakaldo, 1931-Barcelona 2018) won the presidential elections by a narrow margin, He was the Clubs interim president from December 18, 1977 to July 1, 1978, the day Josep Llus Nez ascended to the presidency, Agust Montal i Costa (Barcelona, 1934 Barcelona 2017), son of ex-president Agust Montal i Galobart (1946-1952), was vice president of the board under Narcs de Carreras and following his resignation decided to stand for the post himself. FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta received flak for his public statement about Lionel Messi moving to MLS. They point out that Barcelona made over 70 million combined from previous sponsors Rakuten, Stanley and Beko. "We wish him well in Miami and Barca is his home. A former CEO of MediaMarkt, Europes biggest consumer electronics retailer, Reverter had been the key appointment in attempting to fix the clubs off-field problems. Xavi blasts LaLiga pitches: 'I won't keep quiet' 2h Sam Marsden and Alex Kirkland. Throughout his stay in Paris he has been regularly linked with a return to the club to reunite with good friend Messi and Laporta has claimed that he spoke with the 29-year-old about re-joining earlier this year before the scale of Barcelona's financial issues became so apparent. Were correcting the mistakes made in the past has been a common theme of dialogue from the Laporta administration. The number is much lower than they could have got, says one source. Joan Laporta i Estruch is officially president of FC Barcelona as of Wednesday 17 March when he took office in a simple ceremony but one of symbolic significance for While club president Joan Laporta raised four fingers proudly, vice-president Rafael Yuste clenched a fist. A source heavily involved in the motion of censure that forced Bartomeu to resign says the whole experience has been dispiriting. S pain are doing well at the World Cup and Joan Laporta believes Xavi Hernandez's work with players like Gavi, Pedri and Ferran Torres has helped.. The match in San Francisco was called off as a stomach virus ran They close a week that began with police raiding the Camp Nou and Bartomeu spending Monday night in a prison cell in Les Corts, interrogated as part of an investigation into alleged corruption relating to the hiring of a social media company accused of defending him and defaming opposition figures and even players. Carles Tusquets (interim) Elected President. WebDuring Laporta's previous reign as president, Barca won four Liga titles and two Champions Leagues among other trophies, with players such as Ronaldinho joining the team on his watch. Barca were charged for "continued corruption in the sports field" earlier this year by the Barcelona provincial prosecutors office, because of payments they made to the Former Vice President of the Referees Committee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira. Find all the players that have played for Bara! Laporta did not specify when Roque will join Barca. But issues over securing the 124.6 million guarantee required for the new board to take office saw Laporta instead bring in Eduard Romeu of local renewable energy firm Audax as the clubs new financial vice-president. Joan Laporta triumphs again after previously being elected in 2003. www.fcbarcelona.com. 2-min read. Bara Universal takes a look back at Laportas time as president of FC Listen to this article00:001x 1.5x 1.8x. "We had authorisation from LaLiga for Leo's contract to be included. Laporta has previously said Barcelona must sell before they can buy in order to raise funds and make room on the wage bill. Although this argument is weakened by the club having agreed a deal with NFT provider Ownix in November, only to quickly back out after that companys executive Moshe Hogeg was arrested on charges including fraud. Lewandowski doubles Barcelona's lead just before halftime (0:50) Sporting director Mateu Alemany and international department director Jordi Cruyff were beaming too. Back to the Negreira Case, or 'Caso Negreira' as it is referred to in Spain, Laporta remains certain that it will amount to nothing. Barcelona is not happy that it lost Lionel Messi to Major League Soccer. WebPresident before election. Negotiations with key young players Ronald Araujo and Gavi over new deals remain deadlocked, with Laporta saying publicly that money is tight for pay rises. Although no financial details have been announced, industry sources say the deal is worth 62.5 million a year for the next three seasons. No Notifications to show at the moment. The most startling turnover has been in the key role of compliance officer, who makes sure directors and executives follow the clubs statutes. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Madrid, who finished as runners-up to Barca last season in LaLiga, have added Jude Bellingham, Joselu, Fran Garcia and former Barca target Arda Guler this summer. Ten Hag on striker pursuit: We've made progress | The earlier the better! Bara Vision is an innovative platform that uses emerging technologies like Web3 and Artificial intelligence to revolutionise the fan experience. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Joan Laporta has been elected the 42nd president of Barcelona. However, Laporta had allied with his Real Madrid counterpart Florentino Perez in heavily criticising the terms of the deal, and then taking further legal action after 37 of 42 clubs voted in favour of La Liga president Javier Tebas plan in December. However, some said it was an error to sell so many rights, including the stadium name and different kit sponsorships, within the same pack. Bartomeu sacking Noelia Romeu from this supposed independent position in summer 2020 was a sign of the previous regimes deep troubles. He first took up the presidency on 25 June 1916, when he replaced Rafael Llopart on his resignation, Rafael Llopart was elected at a meeting held on 29 June 1915 at the ground on Carrer Indstria, Military man Joaquim Peris de Vargas was one of the most controversial characters in the entire history of the club, There was major internal division at the club following the resignation of Francesc de Mox. Carles Tusquets was the preceding interim President of the club who took over from Josep Maria Bartomeu after the latter resigned on 27 October 2020. "In this sense, I think that when something costs a lot you get it. Barcelona president Joan Laporta insisted Monday his club never tried to cheat amid investigations into payments made to a former refereeing chief. Eduard Romeu remains a vice-president and the idea is that in the near future he will take on more executive duties, club sources say. The site lists all clubs he coached and all clubs he played for. He tore into the Laporta regime, saying it was running without a strategy and is losing the support of its members. In an exclusive interview with CBS Sports, Laporta gives Nico Cantor and myself his expectations ahead of the 2022-23 campaign and admits he'd love to re-sign Messi. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Barca are waiting to see if they can register teenage forward Vitor Roque in this transfer window. Another benefit of partnering with Spotify, Laportista sources say, is that it will bring new business opportunities concerts at the Nou Camp, partnerships with artists, reaching more fans around the world, new content possibilities. "It's a strange feeling and I didn't enjoy seeing him play for a rival club that we have faced in the past. The structure of the club just does not fit with a professional way of doing things, the source says. Joan Laporta Estruch is a Spanish politician and current president of FC Barcelona. Laporta believes it is difficult to envision Messi, 36, returning to play for Barca before the end of his career. Joan Laporta was re-elected as Barcelona president in March 2021. FC Barcelonas president Joan Laporta held an August 6, 2021 transcript on iconic player Lionel Messi deciding to exit the club. This Champions League has cost us a lot to play and maybe we will end up winning it," Laporta posed. The remaining 87,479 will be able to vote in one of six polling stations in Catalonia, plus one in Andorra. He received 27,138 votes (52.6%), A judicial sentence reached the verdict that the mandate of the Board of Directors led by Joan Laporta had expired on June 30, 2006. Spanish prosecutors last month filed a complaint against Barcelona over payments of 7.3 million euros ($7.95 million) from 2001 to 2018 to firms owned by Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira. - Laporta elected Barcelona president for second time - Laporta: before he succumbed to cancer in 2016, is already a warning to Laporta's enemies and opponents. "We interpreted fair play differently, but based on the way [Javier] Tebas [LaLiga president] interprets it, there was no point in making that offer.". 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The one big-name forward everyone talks about as a possibility is Haaland, and Laporta has been telling people privately for months that he will do everything possible to sign him. And we found out that while Xavis team are certainly on an upward curve, the Catalan clubs off-pitch problems are far from resolved. This is a reminder that Laporta and Perez are also still committed to their stalled European Super League project. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Getty Images. After the Civil War, the Franco regime ordered the creation of another Management Committee to take charge of the running of FC Barcelona. Still UEFA launched their own investigation into the matter, appointing investigators that concluded Barca should be banned from the Champions League for a season as reported by ABC. Going to speak with [UEFA President Aleksander] Ceferin in Ljubljana was an important step in understanding that we could not be convicted before being tried, and that there is no arbitral corruption in the Negreira case," Laporta added. It will be 2025-26 at the earliest before the renovated stadiums extra earning potential starts to pay off, however. Sources say the clubs directors and executives were aware that the announcement was coming. The Norway striker, his former-footballer father Alf Inge and his agent Mina Raiola visited Barcelona and spoke to Laporta last year. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Now, with his retirement from football, concrete details about that presidency are starting to come to light. Follow Dermot on Twitter @dermotmcorrigan, Barcelona head coach Xavi, right, and club president Joan Laporta (Photo: Pedro Salado/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images), Sergio Aguero, who was briefly a Barcelona player this season, second left, with Laporta, Xavi and the clubs former player and coach Pep Guardiola, right (Photo: Alex Caparros/Getty Images), New signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, right, poses for pictures with Jordi Cruyff, left, and Laporta in January (Photo: Adria Puig/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images), Laporta, in his first spell as club president, shakes hands with Pep Guardiola, right, after he signed a two-year contract to coach Barcelona in June 2008 (Photo: AFP via Getty Images). Transfers & rumours . In order not to run losses again this season, the club need these extraordinary sources of income from CVC and Barca Studios. We also want to reinforce our midfield line.". 04:15am Friday 06 Aug. Club. Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said LaLiga chief Javier Tebas has a "sick obsession" with the club and blames him for Lionel Messi's departure this summer. Much-respected Barcelona B coach Francisco Javier Garcia Pimienta was replaced with former player Sergi Barjuan, who had publicly backed Laporta during the election. There was more uncertainty over Lionel Messis future Laporta first said he would do everything to keep the Argentinian talisman at the club, then surprised everyone (including Messi himself) by saying in early August it was impossible to do so. AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie and Ajax right-back Noussair Mazraoui and possibly Chelseas versatile Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta, who are all also out of contract at the end of this season, are also expected to arrive to fill gaps in the squad. This left Laporta and his closest allies freer rein to act as they wished. The Dutchman was fired after Barca lost their second La Liga game in a row following their 2-1 home defeat by Real Madrid in the Clasico on Sunday. There was an opportunity with Bartomeus exit to make the structural and institutional changes needed to make the club more accountable to its members and that was the message that Font kept repeating during last years election. Jordi Portabella, a key ally of Laporta during his time as a Catalan politician in the early 2010s, is now the clubs head of sustainability. That led to friction and eventually a slide in results. Laporta: "We tried to sign Neymar. WebJoan Laporta i Estruch (2021-) Managing Commission (2020-21) Josep Maria Bartomeu i Floreta (2014-2020) Management Committee (2015) Sandro Rosell i Feliu (2010-2014) Joan "It's something to ask him," Laporta said. Messi held talks about a return to Barca before he committed to Inter Miami after leaving PSG . What happens in the offices is not so important, a former Barcelona director says. The soccer icon officially announced his decision to join Inter Miami on Wednesday afternoon. FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta has attacked Real Madrid in a sensational speech on Sunday. "He is very happy with the team and we will be candidates, but if we could improve [the team] a bit," Laporta trailed off, before refusing to utter what Xavi had told him. Conversations were held with potential partners including UK car retailer Cazoo, Chinas internet retailer Tencent and crypto and blockchain companies Polkadot and Vegan Nation. Dembele has subsequently had the best spell of form in his five seasons at the club, including setting up the first two goals in Sundays Clasico. Visca el Bara #PromesesComplertes #HemTornatAlegriaAlBarcelonisne pic.twitter.com/KA5Uvw3Adm. The magnitude of the drama was enormous. Shop now at Bara's Official Store Camp Nou, All the official information of the FC Barcelona Supporters' Clubs. But winning 4-0 at the Bernabeu, in a game watched by people all around the world, puts Barca back on the top level for engagement, with fans and sponsors. 06 Aug 21. Tots units fem fora. We had a plan that reduced the payroll, the expenses with this plan and the willingness of Messi to continue I am convinced that he wouldve stayed, Font said in his press conference. Reverter is far from the only important loss that Laportas regime has suffered. If Xavi and Jordi think they need to sign this player, they see if the money is there with Alemany, says a knowledgeable source. Multiple sources say Chelsea centre-back Andreas Christensen has agreed to join this summer on a Bosman. Irish-born, he has spent more than a decade living in Madrid and writing about Spanish football for ESPN, the UK Independent and the Irish Examiner. ", As for Messi's decision to join PSG, Laporta added: "I didn't like it. 36, returning to play for Barca before the end of his career. Laportas cousin Marta Segu now runs Barcelonas charitable foundation, a role she also held from 2008 to 2010, during his first presidency. All three candidates say they want the Barcelona superstar to continue and, with greater or lesser conviction and credibility, have sought to present themselves as the man that can really convince him to stay. Others counter that you cannot try to run a football club that is owned by its members, and with Barcelonas traditions and peculiarities, as just another big company. "I focus on making a good team over signing individuals. Xavi, Cruyff and Alemany are working together on identifying targets and doing deals, with Laporta and his directors also keeping a close eye on things. Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi completed his move to Paris last month after signing a two-year contract - with an option for a third - worth 25m per year after tax, admitting that Neymar helped to persuade him to move to PSG when it became clear his time at Barca was at an end. When the team is winning, they dont care. Laporta administration is under pressure as the time for putting the blame on the previous administration is stretching thin. Others respond to this by saying the club can stage concerts whether or not they have Spotifys name on their jerseys or stadium. Multiple executives appointed under Rosell or Bartomeu left, and Reverter was personally involved in hiring experienced professionals to replace them. "The joy has returned to Barcelona and now we are winning again. Laporta, in his first spell as club president, shakes hands with Pep Guardiola, right, after he signed a two-year contract to coach Barcelona in June 2008 (Photo: AFP via Getty Images) Laportas board eventually chose to partner with Spotify, with the announcement made on March 15 during that evenings Champions League last-16 second leg matches. Xavi and Cruyff have been reluctant to make a public declaration of their position once Laporta announced and in the ambiguity there has been a battle for ownership. That is the big challenge.. WebBarcelona president Joan Laporta has revealed that Ilkay Gundogan was the first player Xavi asked him to sign this summer. Set up under Bartomeu, Barca Studios produces audiovisual content for use on the clubs own channels or sale to global broadcasters. La imatge de la felicitat, la imatge del Barcelonisme President @JoanLaportaFCB #RafaYuste #MateuAlemany #JordiCruyff el nostre entrenador #XaviHernandez lequip tcnic. "It's something to ask him," Laporta said. The flagship Bara school. They also cut the clubs annual wage bill by over 200 million, helped enormously by letting Messi leave at the end of his contract and loaning Antoine Griezmann back to Atletico Madrid. On his return as president, Laporta made it very clear he had to rescue a club who had been brought close to ruin by predecessors Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell. The end of the accounting year on June 30 is now a key moment, and its looming ever closer. From the conversations that we had, bringing him here seemed like an attractive proposition and he was keen to come," Laporta told Esport3. With the Champions League's first round of qualifying starting this evening in Europe, Barca will learn of their group stage foes when the draw is made on August 31. Neymar has now been reunited with the Argentine at PSG after Barca's financial problems meant they were unable to offer Messi a new contract, despite agreeing terms on the deal. The Barcelona president gave few explanations and spent a lot of time attackin. Joan Laporta easily won returning as president of FC Barcelona. The decisions will be put to vote in an assembly on June 16. It is a relationship that ended when he went to Paris. Barcelona president Joan Laporta couldnt help but throw shade on the ever-growing soccer league in the United States Ex-Caixabank technology chief Juan Manuel Tabero, who came in as chief information officer in May, left a fortnight ago. The president of the Spanish Giants said that the authorities have only magnified a situation. Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, confronted match officials following their 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid on Sunday. News . Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website.