Joan Laporta: We have to move the Espai Barça project forward between us

“Espai Barca will not be a cost for the club, it will be an investment,” said Joan Laporta. He was presenting the project ahead of the socios referendum on December 19 to ratify its construction. He was showing a 1.5 billion euro financing plan for the project which is ‘vital’ to the club’s future.

He asked for everyone to participate and said “we have to bring this forward between us”. “I say it with pride. The socios were needing to make a decision of a great institutional and historic weight (at the assembly). We have to have the authorisation of all socios to fulfil our obligation of completing this project. It will not be a cost but an investment that will generate us a lot of income in the future to keep growing.

“The Espai Barça pays for itself, with income that we estimate will be 200m euros a year. It will not cost the fans extra money, and it won’t increase the club’s ordinary bills. We will not mortgage the club as a guarantee or weaken the sporting side. They have invested 145m euros and only executed 5 per cent of the work. Finishing this project is our obligation. The new Espai Barca includes some improvements that we consider necessary to be able to compete at the top level.”