About a decade ago, Juan Laporta left the throne in Barcelona • At the age of 58, calmer and more moderate, the man who brought every possible title to the club wants to come back and save him from collapse • A month before the presidential election, he gave Israel Today an interview revealing his plans
Laporta.
"My message to fans in Israel - we will work hard"
Photography:
IPI
Since ending his tenure as president of Barcelona during one of its most amazing periods (2010-2003, Juan Laporta is calmer and more moderate. The reason for this lies not only in the fact that he is 58 years old but mainly in the fact that he tries to avoid mistakes in the club presidential election campaign , In which he is the big favorite against Victor Von and Tony Freisha.
Laporta also knows: This election round is the most critical in the club's history, due to the severe economic crisis in its history.
And if the money is not enough, there is a fragile football team that is slowly building and a vague future around the big star Leo Messi.
Many Barça fans are confident that Laporta is the only one who can bring the club back to its golden age and work a miracle - to ensure Leo Messi does not leave in the summer.
The Argentine superstar has already tried to leave because of the confrontation and mistrust between him and President Joseph Maria Bartomeu, Laporta's great rival, who resigned a few months ago.
"Messi has no price. He's a winner"
"I will do everything to convince Leo Messi to continue at Barcelona," Laporta told Israel Today in an exclusive interview. "I want to continue the beautiful story between Messi and the team. I will offer him an offer that is financially possible for Barça, and show him that the club under my leadership will be more competitive. ".
Let's start with what many want to hear - Messi. The main question around him is not whether you can convince him to stay, unless Barcelona have the money for it.
"Lau does not act out of economic thought. He loves Barça and wants to stay in it. What he needs is trust in the people who run the club. So I have Messi's trust. He must feel valued, and one way to do that is of course the financial part. I believe we can "Convince him. The situation is a bit complicated now due to the fact that the election was postponed to March."
Will he negotiate with other groups, as he may do, or wait for the next president to be elected?
"I think he will wait for Barça's offer. First we need to look in depth at the financial situation of the club and know what options are available to us."
After revealing Messi's crazy contract at El Mundo, you sent him a message of support.
"Lau makes a lot more money than he earns. What Messi brings back to the club is money, but also emotion and professional success. He has no price, he is a winner. We have won countless titles, he has scored 650 goals, and the honor he arouses in opponents simply has no price. He is also the favorite player for the children. "
But he is already 33. Do you see him continuing to lead Barcelona?
"Yes, because he has always kept to himself. He is a great professional and he leads an amazing family lifestyle. He loves Barcelona, the city and the team."
Why do you want to return to being president after you lost the 2015 election and when the club was in its worst period?
"I stabilize because I love Barça and because the situation of the team is a big challenge for me, it gives me motivation. Under my management, I want Barcelona to be financially stable again and 'Socius' (club members; SA) will continue to lead.
I feel I have the ability and the experience, because it's a role I've already done.
Now I can do it better.
It is very important for me to return the joy to the fans. "
Regardless of Corona, why do you think Barcelona got into this situation, how did the debts become so huge?
"Because of poor management of the previous management. Already in the 2015 campaign I said I do not trust these people. They were proud that they are good managers, but they caused an economic collapse. Enough with the lies. All this has happened since I left the presidency. No doubt, too. Corona has a part in the situation. "
In the current situation, is it possible to build a competitive team?
"Yes, I will take advantage of all the good things we already have to get even stronger. We will encourage everyone and tell the players and the coach that they must believe in themselves and that they are capable of making the current season successful."
Current coach Ronald Koeman will continue with you?
"He deserves all our respect because he is also one of the greats who played in Barcelona. As you know, Sal, the coaches have an immediate impact on the game and the results."
So you believe this is not a transition year, but there is still a chance to win degrees?
"In the Spanish league we are already in second place and waiting for the stumbles of Atletico Madrid. In the Champions League we have a fascinating match against Paris Saint-Germain, those who want Messi (he does not like the messages coming from France to get the flea there; SA)".
Do you see Neymar with Messi in Paris or Barcelona?
"I continue in my line - not to give names of players, otherwise it raises their price and can cause instability in the rest of the team."
Jordy Cruyff in your plans?
"I have a good relationship with Jordy. I love him and his family very much. For us, Johan Cruyff is the model."
How did you feel in the 8: 2 defeat to Bayern Munich?
"Deep sadness, inner rage and a desire to return to play to beat her. It saddened me to see the generation of players who were the best in our history suffer like this."
You gave Pep Guardiola the first chance. Is there a chance he will return to Barça in the future?
"You have to ask Pep, he has a contract at Manchester City until 2023. I am a friend of his, he is one of those who contributed a lot to making Barça a giant. He is also an extraordinary person."
What are you most proud of during your time as president and what do you regret?
"Overall, I'm very optimistic. Learning from mistakes and moving on. I'm sure I made many mistakes because I made many decisions. But I think I had more good decisions than bad ones. When I left I left the best legacy that could be left in the club: financially solid and infrastructure "Very strong athletic, with some players still on the roster. We won every possible title. Today I am more prepared, I have a strong desire to succeed."
What is your connection to Israel?
"I have been to Israel many times for professional reasons. Beyond that, it has dreamy places like Jerusalem, which I visited in depth, and Tel Aviv, which is very similar to Barcelona. It is a very dynamic city and I like to visit it. Israelis are very similar to Catalans. As a lawyer, I also got to know people. Excellent businesses from Israel, which have invested in Catalonia in recent years. "
Finally, do you have a message for Barça fans in Israel?
"I know there are a lot of them, and I tell them that Barça will return to experience magical nights like at Wembley (1992, Paris (2006, Rome), 2009 Wembley (2011) and Berlin (2015). "I tell them that if they want strong leadership for Barça - they will have a president and management who will work very hard. We will play together for the club that has won respect in the whole football world. Well, for that I ask them to choose me."
