Joan Laporta did not hold back during the first presidential debate Monday morning, and arguments were not spared from both sides of his debate with Victor Font.
The first presidential debate was hosted in the FC Barcelona offices, and was moderated by Jordi Basté, the RAC1 radio host for the El Món a RAC1 show. It took place from 9AM, organized by Grupo Godó, and took roughly 2 hours, with some humorous moments throughout.
The debate was made possible through RAC1, La Vanguardia, and Mundo Deportivo.
The debate touched on many subjects, and the one many culers were waiting for, was the interview Xavi gave to La Vanguardia, published last night.
“Xavi’s interview surprised me and hurt me. When I see these statements, I think about Hansi Flick. Being president of FC Barcelona is difficult and sometimes you have to make tough decisions. I did what I had to do,” Laporta began, before highlighting a contrast between the performances of Hansi Flick and that of Xavi, with similar squads available.
“With Xavi I felt we were going to lose, and with Flick I feel we are going to win. With the same players, Flick wins,” Laporta continued.
“I understand that Xavi Hernández might be hurt, because Hansi Flick is winning with the same players that Xavi was losing with. I can understand that feeling.”
“But what hurts me is that he allowed himself to be used and, in order to hurt me, attacked someone close to me — Alejandro Echevarría.”
“Echevarría and Rafael Yuste were among those who defended Xavi’s continuity until the very last moment it was possible.”
“There is a desire to poison the atmosphere and create controversy,” Laporta concluded.
Laporta then proceeded to defend Alejandro Echevarría.
“He has my full trust, especially in matters related to La Liga and the Royal Spanish Football Federation,” Laporta began.
“He works to maintain stability in the dressing room because he has an excellent relationship with the team, which helps me a lot. That’s why we see the harmony that currently exists in the locker room at FC Barcelona,” he continued.
“He is also intelligent, honest, and brave, with a great ability to solve problems that arise during the management of the club.”
Victor Font spent a good portion of the debate looking down at the now ex-president Joan Laporta and his actions, not wasting any time in throwing remarks his way.
Victor Font: “What I want to say is that I will not live off FC Barcelona.”
Joan Laporta: “Do you mean something specific by that?”
Font: “I’m saying I will not live off Barcelona.”
Laporta: “These insinuations are unacceptable. These are half-truths and bad-faith suggestions. If you think I live off Barcelona, say it clearly,” he said.
“I have always lived from my own work, not from the club. I am also the president of all Barça fans, and over these years they have given me their trust and helped maintain stability at the club.”
Wrt. the Nike deal that FC Barcelona struck a while back, Font had his disagreements.
Joan Laporta: “This agreement with Nike allowed us to register players because it is the best kit deal in the history of FC Barcelona.”
“The mediation involved in the process was essential to reach this agreement and secure these results for the club.”
Victor Font: “But this is the question many members are asking: why did we pay a much higher fee for mediation than what the market usually pays?”
Joan Laporta: “We did not give money for nothing. We paid for a mediation service, and the amount paid by the club was around €1.65M, which is not outside the market range considering the scale of a long-term contract.”
Victor Font also referred to Joan Laporta as having proven himself incapable of managing Barcelona Femení’s success and team. To this, Laporta had a clear response:
“We have won three Champions League trophies, all the titles possible, and on top of that, the last FIVE Ballon d’Or’s have gone to Barça: 2 for Alexia and 3 for Aitana. The entire world speaks positively of the Femení side.”
The elections will take place on Sunday, March 15, from 9AM to 9PM. That same afternoon, at 4:15 PM local time, Barça host Sevilla at the Spotify Camp Nou in their second encounter this season.
