Joan Laporta on Messi, City signings, the La Liga FFP ratio and more
Here are the Barcelona president's key quotes from his chat with Cadena SER
Barcelona chief Joan Laporta spoke on various topics in his chat with Cadena SER. Here are some key quotes.
Christmas wishes? “From the three kings I ask for titles and goals for Barca, and health for me and my family.”
Titles: “We want as many titles as possible, but we want La Liga. We have fluid conversations with Xavi, we speak about everything. We are focused on winning the league, that’s the prime objective and we had the team to do it.”
City signings: “We won’t pay 80 million for Bernardo Silva. Haaland? We’ll see how the Norwegian striker does at City. We have Lewandowski right now and that’s going very well.”
Salary cuts: “The players are incorporating themselves within some limits. That is allowing the club to stabilise and balance. We won’t do anything with the inherited contracts, we will respect them.”
Messi: I had to put Barca ahead of the best player in the history of football. They were moments of economic ruin and I could not keep him. I think it was the best for the club. Right now he’s a PSG player and I prefer not to speak about him. We’re focused on Barca. Leo will always form part of our badge and I would like that he had a different end than the one he did. There are various options, but I’d be making a mistake to say them. We have a relationship.”
Pique: “If he wants, he will be president of Barca in the future. Our relationship is excellent.”
1:1 ratio for signings: “In this moment to sign 1:1 we need 26 million of income. That’s the amount we lost by being knocked out of the Champions League. If we get to the Europa League final, for example, we’d get 21 million. Adding friendlies, we’d have it. We have recovered our prestige, there are investors, sponsors, and interested clubs who want to organise games with Barca. We will get to June with the chance to sign 1:1.”
Laporta also said Dembele, Ter Stegen and De Jong were not for sale and the socio model will not be touched, that Barcagate is in the hands of the authorities and that Alejandro Balde’s renewal is going well. The chief also said the start date for the European Super League would be 2025 if they get the court decision they crave.
