Laporta: "The Super League project is still alive"

Joan Laporta, during the assembly of Barcelona compromisers members Alejandro García / EFE

"Let me not ask you to vote for the Super League today because the competition format does not exist today."

The president of FC Barcelona, ​​Joan Laporta, in an unprecedented assembly of sponsor members that was held for the first time at the Camp Nou, ruled out submitting Florentino Pérez's project to vote.

However, he defended it.

And he took advantage of his appearance to attack UEFA.

"The project is still alive," clarified the president;

“UEFA launched threats and pressure.

We will not apologize for wanting to be masters of our destiny ”.

More information

• Barcelona finalizes a loan of 500 million

• The uncertain revolution of Laporta

When he resigned from the presidency of Barcelona, ​​Josep Maria Bartomeu announced that his board had approved the incorporation of the Barça entity to the Super League.

He did so six months before 12 of the most powerful clubs in Europe officially announced their creation.

Laporta, who had replaced Bartomeu, did not rule out the project led by Pérez.

In fact, despite the removal of the six English (City, United, Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea), two Italians (Milan and Inter) and Atlético, Barça remained alongside Juventus and Real Madrid.

Laporta kept a clause in the contract that makes its participation conditional on the compromise partners.

That day has not yet come.

For now.

“We did not want to repeat the mistake we made when we did not enter the European Cup. The Super League does not end with the domestic leagues. The speech has been very demagogic. The Super League is much more supportive than UEFA, which has a de facto monopoly, "Laporta said. He also recalled one of the most important benefits of the Super League, especially for Barcelona: money. “There was financing that put 3,500 million for a new very attractive format. The Super League came at a time when all clubs were going through financial problems. It represented a minimum of 700 million per season, plus the variables, "Laporta recalled. A lot of money for a club, like Barça, involved in a very delicate financial situation.

"There are no excuses. But not everything falls into the sack of covid. She has a lot of guilt, but she is not the only one. Things were already getting bad and we were lame. And when you go lame and adversity comes, you fall ”, explained Eduard Romeu, economic vice president. The situation is so complex and the box is so empty that Barça already had to request a loan of 80 million to assume short-term obligations: 75 million transfers, 24 in taxes and 57 million in salaries. That starts, but Barça will also ask for a loan of 525 million, with an interest of 3% to be repaid in 15 years, from Goldman Sachs. “In June 2018, the net financial debt was 159 million. In March 2021, it is 673 million ”, explained Romeu. Barcelona's total debt is 1,143 million. "It will not be destined for signings because there is not much margin,but it gives us peace of mind to manage the club, "said Laporta. The partners gave the approval to the credit: 588 votes in favor, 28 votes against and 43 blank votes.

Bartomeu's board boasted of increasing revenue season after season. Thus, from 2014 to 2019, it went from billing 608 million to 990. An increase of 62%. And for the 2019-2020 campaign, the club's idea was to exceed 1,000 million. Barça forced income as a result of the increase in expenses. For example, to balance the numbers, in the 2018-2019 campaign there was a barter between Neto and Cillessen with Valencia and the same formula was repeated with Juve between Pjanic and Arthur. “They were always agreed with the sports management. Juve was interested in the operation and it gave us treasury, it made economic and sporting sense ”, justified Jordi Moix, member of the Bartomeu board.

Barça's income bubble was exploited by the pandemic. “The impact of the pandemic caused a loss of income of 1.6 billion euros in the main European leagues. We were looking to generate about 11 million benefits, but with Covid-19 we suffered losses of 100 million, "said Moix. Barça closed the 2019-2020 financial year with a 97 million deficit. “My boardmates and I will vote in favor of the accounts, in favor of the club. We will do it so that the club returns to the path of normality. If we maintain this irregularity, we will not have the possibility for financial entities to put the resources to refinance the debt, ”Laporta assured. And the Assembly approved the balance with 616 votes in favor, 67 against and 68 blank.

He also did it with the budget for the 2020-2021 season.

Some accounts that had planned to enter 855 million.

"It couldn't be," assured Moix.

Laporta confirmed.

"It is true that it will not be fulfilled."

The budget, in any case, was approved with 578 votes in favor, 71 against and 94 blank.

“The liability action is a right that they could exercise.

Since the Civil War we have not been like this.

To ignore the pandemic is to be out of reality ”, Moix completed.

In the absence of the audit, it is estimated that the losses could reach 400 million.

The money from the Super League would have served as a lifeline for Barcelona.

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