Hoarse, Laporta appeared on the night of March 7 announcing that his mandate would be characterized by humility and joy, optimism and courage, ambition and sacrifice, to recover a dying Barça due to an unprecedented economic crisis. He also said that he would ask the previous directors for responsibilities, without rancor or desire for revenge, at the same time that he proclaimed the renewal of Messi.
Barça’s economic situation has conditioned Laporta’s mandate. The elections were not reached because of the ruin caused by Bartomeu’s board, but because of scandals such as Leo Messi’s attempt to leave through a burofax, the 2-8 in Lisbon against Bayern and the Bartogatea campaign that harassed and insulted reputed Barcelona fans on social networks.
The pandemic culminated in the erosion of a directive that had also suffered resignations (Monés, Vilarrubí, following the 1-O of 2017, the vice presidents Mestre, Monje, Arroyo, Rousaud and Tombas and the directors Elías, Pont and Calsamiglia and the Teixidor board as a block). The dimension of the debt surfaced later. It reaches 1,350 million after two deficit years: 97 million (19-20) and 481 million (20-21). .
Messi’s dramatic departure
Messi lasted five months at Barça de Laporta. From March, when the candidate and then president was going to fix his renewal with a barbecue, until August 5, when the club issued a statement announcing that he was leaving “due to economic obstacles” just the day he came back from vacation to sign the renewal.
On Sunday August 8, tearful, Messi said goodbye in the Auditori, shocked in the same way as all Barcelona fans. “I’ve done my best to stay,” she said through tears. Two days later he was waving from Paris, signed by PSG for a golden retirement at the age of 34.
Fired the captain, lost the symbol of the most successful era of football, only the myth remained: 672 goals scored in 779 games played and 35 titles won.
Transfers at zero cost conditioned
The lack of money was crucial so that the most important player of the team could not be retained. Not even lowering the record (the highest in world football) by half. The salary expense of the staff was then above the income of the entity. Even so, signings could be made.
At zero cost (Agüero, Memphis, requested by Koeman the previous year, Eric Garcia and Luuk de Jong), for half a million (the loan of Yusuf Demir, returned to Rapid Vienna in winter) or for 9 million (Emerson Royal), which was transferred to make the investment profitable. But it was also necessary to promote exits, like Antoine Griezmann’s and that of Philippe Coutinho, the highest chips, and renegotiate others.
Only one football title: the Cup
The 2021 Copa del Rey is the only footballing success of the Laporta era, started with the prologue of a 0-4 against PSG that made a comeback impossible in his first game as president. The win over Athletic (0-4) in the final in Seville It was the highlight of a team that wasted their chances in the League with a defeat against Granada (0-1) and two draws with Atlético and Levante.
This season, eliminated from the Champions League, the Super Cup and the Cup and 15 points behind Madrid, the options are reduced to the Europa League, although the goal is to finish in the top four. Xavi’s team is currently third.
The mismanagement with the coaches
Koeman finished last season badly and the current one started badly, without the absolute support of Laporta, who during the summer already weakened his position by stating that he was taking “two weeks of reflection” to decide whether to keep him or fire him. He kept him.
The poor results condemned Koeman, with five wins in 13 games. The lace came after the fifth defeat, in Vallecas. He was fired on the plane. And Laporta kept thinking and wasting time while Sergi Barjuan took over. This time the president reflected to decide whether to hire Xavi Hernández, whom he and his close associates abhorred, denying any option for him to sign due to his lack of experience.
The need has catapulted a group of young people who, with continuity, are structuring the team of the future. Araujo and Ansu Fati they debuted with Valverde, Riqui Puig was lit by Quique Setién, Koeman consolidated them all in addition to Mingueza, Ilaix Moriba (transferred for rejecting the renewal), PedriNico and Gavi, with Sergi Barjuan appeared Abde and Xavi recruited Ilias and Jutglà.
They were emergency solutions that have been hardened in terrible times and that rapid maturation process has made them the new pillars of Barça. Eric, Dest and Ferran complete the rejuvenation process of a Barça that wins again and excites at times.
Resignations, resignations and dismissals
Convulsive was Laporta’s first term (2003-10) and convulsive is being the second, with constant dropouts in its different formulas. Jaume Giró, who was to be the economic vice president, resigned before taking office, only a week after the electoral victory. It transpired this Monday that Laporta plans to fire, according to RAC1, the compliance officer (Xavier Mas) and the director of technology (Juan Manuel Tabero), executives incorporated at the request of Ferran Reverter, the CEO, who resigned on February 8.
Along the way, Bartomeu’s executives fell. Up to 30 people were signing settlements: Òscar Grau, Román Gomez Ponti (both investigated by the Bartogate, Albert Soler, Guillem Graell, Josep Vives… Some lasted days, others weeks.
The Espai Barça resumes its march
The Espai Barça was approved with resounding approval in 2014 in a referendum organized by Bartomeu. Laporta also called another referendum. It was more of a ratification after being endorsed in an assembly, because the first cost 600 million and the new version amounted to 1,500. The economic increase came to be an update of costs, according to the current version, and a different financing formula through a Goldman Sachs loan to repay in 30 years.
The assembly approved the change, although the delegates who voted (455 people out of 4,457 summoned) asked Laporta to share the responsibility they had contracted with the remaining 110,000 members of the entity. The project of the century produces vertigo due to its dimensions. They plan some unknowns yet. For example: Will the Camp Nou team go to Montjuïc?
The pride of women’s Barça
Among the little good inherited stands out a formidable treasure: the women’s Barça. A fantastic team to watch, devastating on the field, endowed with a charisma that has raised it to unthinkable heights. To begin with, he will play a classic against Madrid in the Champions League at the Camp Nou. Laporta was able to lift another European Cup and was able to show off another treble. Theirs.
That of the women, led by Alexia Putellas, which has allowed the president to return to European football galas and the club to display another Ballon d’Or in the Museum’s windows. Alexia has obtained all individual trophies from last season, with the most prized treble: Ballon d’Or, The Best and UEFA Best Player. With Jenni Hermoso and Lieke Martens they reissued the trident that they formed Messi, Iniesta and Xavi in 2011. Barça continues on the same path. He has not lost on the field, although he changed coaches (Lluís Cortés handed over command to his second, Jonatan Giráldez).
The crisis (and success) of handball
He also changed coach in the handball section. A more controversial relief because Xavier Pascual’s contract was not renewed, a decision that was made before the team won the European Cup. With Pascual, holder of 48 titles since 2009, The director general of the section, the incomparable David Barrufet, also left (71 titles harvested in the goal). Together they have ended up at Dinamo Bucharest.
Enric Masip, Laporta’s sports advisor, had to multiply his appearances to explain the apparently inexplicable dismissals. Antonio Carlos Ortega, another myth of the section, took the team.
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A ‘forensic’ to report Bartomeu
The demand for responsibilities to Bartomeu was consummated a month ago, when Barça denounced the former president to the Prosecutor’s Office after the elaboration of a forensic aimed at detecting possible criminal actions. Justice will decide.
The report denounced “a series of very serious, rude, grotesque conduct and that they are not sustained from a legal or economic point of view and that they offend against the data and objective evidence”, according to the club, which rejected a liability action. Unfair administration, misappropriation, false accounting, illegitimate payments and disproportionate commissions are the possible crimes committed. Bartomeu was arrested by the Bartogate, a case pending trial.