Barça axe basketball MVP Mirotic to comply with LaLiga's FFP demands
President Joan Laporta explained LaLiga need the club to make cutbacks across the board
Barcelona's basketball team won the league on Tuesday in Madrid. Nikola Mirotic was voted MVP of the final in what was his last game in the club's jersey after he was informed that his contract will not be renewed for financial reasons.
Barça president Joan Laporta explained the reasons for Mirotic's departure: "He is fantastic and a great player, he has given us many successes and is an amazing person, but the situation is what it is and to register players we have to comply with the viability plan that we presented to LaLiga. It demands a reduction in the sections [other teams], [sporting director Juan Carlos] Navarro will explain it on Wednesday."
In fact, the head of the basketball section has already advanced that there is no going back now.
"There is no turning back with Mirotic. It is a decision that has been taken for some time. We will go another way. We are calm," said Navarro on RAC1.
Laporta praised the team after the resounding victory in the final against Real Madrid (a 3-0 series win): "The mental strength of the team has been important. They bounced back after the Euroleague. Saras [Jasikevičius] is the best coach in the world and the players have recovered their winning mentality".
GUARDIOLA
The Barça president also thanked Pep Guardiola for his words in which he praised all that Laporta has done to save the club.
"Guardiola is a friend, he knows Barça and we are grateful for what he said. I have thanked him and we have agreed to meet in the Champions League semi-finals or final next year, when we will be rivals," Laporta finished.
