[Mundo Deportivo] Laporta: “Man, we had LaLiga’s authorization to fit Leo’s contract. It was something that was talked to Jorge and everything was defined.” 11-07-2023

Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, talks about everything in an interview with Mundo Deportivo to review the current situation of the club. The transfer plans for the renewal of Xavi and Dembélé, going through the frustrated hiring of Messi and touching the project that there is for the basketball section. The president of Barça also speaks of his relationship with Javier Tebas and LaLiga, of the new white shirt that will be presented soon and that has given so much to talk about, and even of his dreams. And since it can not be otherwise, it talks about the objectives of the Barcelona entity for the next season. A long, pleasant and very juicy interview in which the president of Barcelona expresses himself with total naturalness and in which, also, he responds to the criticism of his last opponent in the elections for the presidency of FC Barcelona, Victor Font.

How’s summer going?

Hot. With a lot of activity and no vacation, this period is very active. I’m even considering delaying my presence on the tour because we have to solve a number of issues. We are awaiting further strengthening the staffing and feasibility plan that we have to comply with. If I can go on day 19 with the team, it would be good news, because it will mean that we have been able to resolve priority issues; otherwise, we will be here solving them.

It’s cost to shut down the operations. Can they be done?

I’m convinced that they’ll all be done. The feasibility plan is approved, but it must be fulfilled. And I want to make it clear that we were going to fulfill it even if LaLiga did not force us to do so. The club needs it, but it has been good for LaLiga to share it with us, we accept the regulations. Institutional relations with Laliga and personal between theme and theme have been remade. It has to be like this. Other than that, the club doesn’t stop.

How have these relationships been remade? Now they seem in love.

I mean, what’s in it is a very good relationship. I said the step, we saw each other at home, in a very nice and quiet place in Huesca. We were able to have a quiet, casual conversation and no apriorisms. Javier Tebas is very vehement, with a lot of character, and I also have my way of being, but we have many points of coincidence and I feel comfortable with him as with the president of the RFEF, Rubiales. I think as president of Barça it has to be that way.

How did you get to that situation of disagreement?

Just because we have a good relationship doesn’t mean we think the same. We started well, I had known Javier for years, but he thought we would get into the CVC operation and we thought we didn’t have to. We have fared better with what we have done, the conditions are more favorable, there was a point of friction that triggered a situation that was not desirable. There was this discrepancy.

Does Thebes speak Catalan in privacy?

He is a person with whom it can be discussed. We touch on all issues, including politicians.

Is there a favor deal for Barcelona?

We’re not having privileges, Mr. Thebes is not this stick. It will bring the institutional relationship into flow, we have generated trust and maintained our own. We have to accept the rules of financial fair play, which are very strict

Do you agree in full?

We disagree on some. And there are some that will vary, for the benefit of the clubs, I am sure, because this has been made known to us by the president of LaLiga, who is in a flexible position while still making the rules complied.

Can you tell Barça’s partner that the team will compete in Europe next season?

Yes. We’re calmer now. The recommendation of UEFA investigators leads to the conclusion that they cannot condemn us before trying us. They understand that this must be the procedure and have made it known to the UEFA Appeals Committee and all the news leads to the game of the Champions League, which has been difficult. There have been difficult times when we have suffered. Going to talk to Ceferin in Ljubljana was an important step when it came to understanding that we could not be convicted before being tried and that there is also no arbitral corruption in the ‘Negreira Case’.

How will the ‘Negreira Case’ end?

If there is anything, that is investigated to the end, but they are other issues, not arbitral corruption. We are sure that Barça will come out unscathed, because there is nothing. I told Ceferin and he understood. That’s how it was, the researchers concluded that there should be no sanction. I am convinced that the ‘Negreira Case’ will remain in each. The instigators wanted to mount a smear campaign, and I say it both for my time and the presidents who have followed me. In this sense, I think that when a thing costs a lot you get it. This Champions League has taken a lot to play it and maybe we ended up winning it.

Relevant bits

**His eyes are bright. His eyes were also shining with Messi.**

Yes, because it gave a solution to a situation that I did not know how to get along and despite everything I think I had to do it and put over the club that to the best in the world. **There were possibilities, we had turned out that would be so. The player wanted, the father also but the rhythms are different. We didn’t want to have a time since the next time and told them that when we had fair-play we warned them. Then it was a while, there was all the agreed contract** but Jorge wanted to come talk to me and told us that he had decided for Inter Miami because he had spent a very hard season in Paris, where he was very pressured, that in Miami he would be calmer and I could think about the team and despite having wanted to come to Barça, to spend another year so he did not want it. It is understandable and we are moving to work a super tribute to Messi that Barça must do.

**What are the current relations with Messi?**

Okay, right. We have not continued to talk. We wish you good in Miami and Barça is your home. It is a relationship that ended when he went to Paris, he resumed without achieving what we both wanted and now it is right.

**Messi said there was no formal offer from Barça. What happened there?**

Man, we had LaLiga’s authorization to fit Leo’s contract. It was something that was talked to Jorge and everything was defined.

By the way, I want to see Leo in Barca, again. He is one of our legendarys.

Fuck messi move on… best thing to let him go and start rebuild