Joan Laporta spoke again. Although only for the club’s media, Barça One – without submitting to journalists’ questions – in an interview recorded on Tuesday morning and which was scheduled to be released at noon, but which was delayed until seven in the afternoon. The Barça leader broke his silence for the first time after the dismissal of Xavi on May 24 and the arrival of German coach Hansi Flick as head of the bench. “Xavi has done a great job. He took over the club at a time of maximum difficulty and last year we had a good season. “I accepted that Xavi, as a culé that he is, would leave at the end of the course,” shared Laporta. But when that moment arrived, Xavi rectified, and the president asked him if he believed in the team. “Of course,” was the coach’s response. “Everything was a bit forced when we accepted his change of mind. His enthusiasm made us make the decision,” Laporta later added.
But the former player “changed his speech” and bothered the president. “Then he had a conversation with the sports director to make a substantial change to the squad. He made me see that we needed to make another change to give that boost. We had the opportunity to incorporate Hansi Flick, who really believes in the squad, and has the ambition and sees himself capable of beating anyone,” Laporta explained about the end of Xavi. For him, furthermore, “it has been finished in a very elegant way.” The departure was announced the day before the Champions League final won by the club’s women’s section, and Laporta assured that he informed Xavi that they would speak the following Monday. “There was no need to distract the team. Xavi’s concern led us to hasten the announcement of our decision. I received a lot of insistence,” Laporta confessed.
Once Xavi’s end was announced, Bojan and Deco had an interview with Flick. “He has been studying the team. All the reports about him were very positive, and he was clear about how we had to play respecting our style. “He has seen that we have the jewel of La Masia,” shared the Barça president. He also praised the future coach — “he has won everything,” he said — to whom he gave a letter so he would know “where he was coming from.” And amidst all the noise about footballers leaving, Laporta has made it clear: “The intention is to keep all the players, and also Flick’s. If touch-ups have to be made, they will be done. But not substantial changes. Some end their contracts, others have asked us to leave (…) We want the Joãos to continue. Flick believes that they are high-quality players.”
Laporta, in addition, was “optimistic” – “otherwise it would be difficult to govern this club,” he commented – with the club’s economic situation, ensuring that Barcelona is close to emerging from its “journey in the desert.” “We have grown in income, we have decreased in expenses. Nowadays it is not necessary for there to be a big exit. We are close to reversing the situation, to having positive results, to having 1:1 in the fair play“, highlighted Laporta, who also shared that they are in negotiations with a new contract – which will be the “most important” in the club’s history – with Nike, the sportswear brand that dresses Barça, and that they will return to the Camp Nou at end of the year.
Regarding the case, Negreira has been “happy” not to be charged. “But why did they do it? For what Barcelona represents, for fear that we will return to another victorious stage. (…) It has been an orchestrated campaign to destroy our reputation,” he assured.
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