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Tag: laporta

  • Letting Messi go my saddest decision of all – Laporta

    Letting Messi go my saddest decision of all – Laporta

    Barcelona president Joan Laporta has again defended allowing Lionel Messi to leave last summer.

    The Argentine forward ended up parting ways with the Blaugrana and joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, as the Catalan club had to comply with LaLiga’s wage cap rules.

    “It is the saddest decision of all,” Laporta told Barcelona’s official media.

    “I would never have wanted to make it, but I am not sorry either because we had to put the club above everything, which is what we did, even ahead of the best player. The situation was what it was.

    “We came up against reality. It seemed that afterwards there was nothing, but Barcelona’s history continues and with work and good thought-out decisions we could return to the path of success, which is what we are doing.”

    Laporta went on to express his gratitude towards Ronald Koeman for giving opportunities to youngsters, but stressed that his decision to sack him was correct.

    “I had doubts after the first season, but out of respect for him we tried [to see how things would go],” added Laporta.

    “There came a time when I saw that another painful decision had to be made. If I had had to make it earlier? Yes. I had to have listened to the intuition.

    “I will always remember Koeman for the goal at Wembley, for a coach who had the courage to use young people. If he is hurt, I hope it will go away.”

  • I never asked Messi to play for free – Laporta

    I never asked Messi to play for free – Laporta

    Barcelona president Joan Laporta has sought to put his side of claims around Lionel Messi being requested to play for free this season.

    Laporta admitted the prospect was raised before Messi left for PSG earlier this season.

    But he has since told TV3: “I want this to be clear. In a radio show, I was told: ‘If Messi could have stayed for free?’ For free … I don’t know if it would have been possible, but I understand that it could have been.

    “And for a while I was like, well, it could have been. But I never asked Messi to play for free and in that Messi is right because, other than that, he is the best player in the world. We knew he had a big offer and that was nonsense. Anyway, it had to come from him, not from me. I never said that and a controversy was born which is distorted at the source.”

  • La Liga: I should’ve sacked Koeman earlier – Laporta

    La Liga: I should’ve sacked Koeman earlier – Laporta

    Barcelona president Joan Laporta has explained his decision to sack Ronald Koeman.

    Laporta was clear that the targets for this season did not look like they were going to be met.

    “The situation was not sustainable. We needed to act. We were not on course to achieve the objectives of the season, which is to win trophies,” he stated.

    Laporta nevertheless feels that the sacking of Koeman could have arrived a little earlier.

    “Possibly we should have dismissed Koeman earlier and I take responsibility for that,” the Barcelona president commented.

    “We beat Dynamo [Kyiv] and Valencia but the situation was unsustainable. We thought he needed backing. But we were drifting.”

  • La Liga: Laporta and Barca board clash over Andrea Pirlo

    La Liga: Laporta and Barca board clash over Andrea Pirlo

    Barcelona president Joan Laporta wants to bring former Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo to the Nou Camp.

    That’s according to RAC1’s Gerard Romero, who was speaking on his Twitch stream last night.

    “In Barcelona we have been living in a truly unbearable situation for days now,” Romero began. “Since last summer, Mr. Koeman knows that he does not enjoy Laporta’s trust and also that he remained at the helm of the blaugrana only because the club did not have the money to kick him out.

    “The relationship between Koeman and Laporta was already precarious and complicated, but the negative effects of the team in this start of the season have deteriorated even earlier than we could have expected.

    “Pirlo is a personal bet by Joan Laporta. The Blaugrana president feels he has a gift for discovering coaches and is thinking seriously about him, despite the management claiming to have better options on the table for the Barcelona bench.

    Laporta reflects on Pirlo, then, but he does not have the support of the sporting and technical part. We will see what happens, it will surely be burning hours.”

  • Barca receive offer from UAE to sell €1.5bn debt

    Barca receive offer from UAE to sell €1.5bn debt

    Barcelona have received an offer for their €1.5bn debt to be paid by a company from the UAE.

    El Curubito on 8tv reports the company is willing to purchase Barça’s debt with a favourable repayment plan included.

    The cited media ensures it would be a good deal for Barça, who would not have to pay anything for two years.

    That period could be extended to up to 12 years, while the interest demanded by the company would be very low.

    Barça would receive €1.5bn immediately, so they would come out of the “intensive care unit” directors say they’re still in and would have the liquidity to make signings, which was not the case last summer.

  • Barca president Laporta and board split on Xavi

    Barca president Laporta and board split on Xavi

    Barcelona president Joan Laporta and his board are split on Al Sadd coach Xavi as Ronald Koeman’s successor.

    Sport says Xavi is the preferred option to replace Koeman for many of the Barcelona board, but he’s not Laporta’s first pick.

    The Barça president was keen for Xavi to return to the club as B team coach, like Pep Guardiola did, but it’s not something the club’s former captain will consider.

    For now, as revealed on Wednesday in SPORT, Belgium coach Roberto Martinez is the candidate Laporta is most in favour of.

    Months ago, Laporta made it clear he wasn’t convinced Xavi was ready for the first team: “He needs a bit more experience. That’s what the club needs. It’s the same as we did with Rijkaard, who laid the foundations, and Guardiola, who brought excellence. This situation requires experience.”

  • Laporta to take ‘drastic’ decision if Barca lose tonight

    Laporta to take ‘drastic’ decision if Barca lose tonight

    Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman’s job is on the line tonight against Granada.

    Koeman is under huge pressure after last week’s home defeat to Champions League opponents Bayern Munich.

    Barca president Joan Laporta has been encouraged by members of the board to sack Koeman, though he has so far refused to pull the trigger.

    However, speaking on El Chiringuito, pundit José Alvarez reports Laporta could take “drastic action” if Barca flop against Granada tonight.

    If Barca produce an “underwhelming” performance, Laporta is prepared to dismiss Koeman.

  • Laporta fumes as Koeman given three matches to save Barca job

    Laporta fumes as Koeman given three matches to save Barca job

    Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman is fighting to keep his job after this week’s home defeat to Bayern Munich.

    Koeman is under pressure after Barca suffered a 3-0 Champions League loss in a week that he hit out publicly at president Joan Laporta.

    Laporta held crisis talks with vice-president Rafa Yuste with technical director Matteo Alemany immediately after the game, with the meeting not breaking up until after 2am.

    El Confidencial says Laporta is at the end of his patience with Koeman and is prepared to sack the Dutchman.

    It’s suggested Koeman has three games to save his job, with Granada, Cadiz and Levante all to come for the Catalans. How his team performs over these three LaLiga matches will decide Koeman’s fate.

    But at the moment, Laporta is leaning towards axing his coach, with his deal expiring in June.

  • Laporta talks too much, says Barca coach Koeman

    Laporta talks too much, says Barca coach Koeman

    Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has hit out at president Joan Laporta.

    Koeman was left upset by Laporta demanding a certain approach to team selection regarding La Masia talent.

    Speaking with NOS, Koeman said: “My relationship with Laporta has improved.

    “But last week something happened that I consider bad. He suggested that the coach does not have all the powers. He has talked too much. This can be done in private.

    “I like it when a president gets involved and also asks questions. Only that it shouldn’t be in the press, that was the problem”

  • We did not need Griezmann at Barca – Laporta

    We did not need Griezmann at Barca – Laporta

    Barcelona president Joan Laporta insists they won’t miss Antoine Griezmann.

    Griezmann left Barca last week for Atletico Madrid on-loan.

    “He was not the player we needed,” admitted the Barcelona chief.

    “I think he could have given more but the circumstances were complicated. Maybe he didn’t fit in the Barça system.”

    He did say that Griezmann’s attitude “was always correct” and that he’s “very alive, last year he scored goals, especially in the Copa del Rey.”