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Barcelona’s New President Has Been Elected, But Can He Persuade Messi To Stay?
THE ELECTION HAPPENED AT A TIME WHEN THE CLUB WAS BEING AFFECTED BY LEGAL ISSUES AND INTERNAL CONFLICTS. Joan Laporta was chosen as Barcelona’s new president on Sunday with 54.28 percent of the vote, placing him in charge of the club.
It was in poor shape when his predecessor departed in October, and the covid had taken a heavy toll on the club’s finances.
Laporta, on the other hand, is not new to the club. Joan took over the role in 2010 when Messi was starting to garner international attention.
As expected, Laporta persuaded voters by citing his ties to Messi and saying that he could prevent the Argentine star from leaving in the summer.
Since Laporta’s last tenure, a lot has changed. But he is confident in the right method for restoring Barcelona to the glory days of a decade ago.
Who exactly is Joan Laporta?
Joan Laporta presided over Barcelona for seven years, from 2003 to 2010.
Not to mention that his success was generally acknowledged.
Barcelona won four league titles and two Champions Leagues during his tenure, promoting Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi to the first squad and bringing in key players such as Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o via transfer.
Laporta will now be in charge for the next five years, until 2026, following the election.
Laporta has staked his campaign on Messi.
Laporta promised voters in his second campaign that he could persuade an unhappy Messi to stay since he had earned the forward’s trust.
He stated, and we quote, in an interview with Goal,
“THE LEO ISSUE IS EASIER THAN THE STADIUM.” GETTING TO THIS (125-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF CAMP NOU IN 2024) WITH MESSI WOULD BE GREAT FINAL FIREWORKS.”
Laporta won the seat against Font and Freixa.
Victor Font and Toni Freixa were the other two contenders in the election.
They faced stiff competition because Laporta was the fan favorite.
Font, who earned 30% of the vote, is also a member of the club’s board of directors.
Freixa, on the other side, was the organization’s former spokeswoman and earned 9% of the vote.
Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned for what reason?
Josep Maria Bartomeu, Barcelona’s former president, resigned last year after the ‘Barcagate’ incident, which led to his arrest last week.
He has now been released from jail.
Similarly, Bartomeu and his close allies have been accused of paying a public relations agency to boost Bartomeu’s popularity by denigrating current and past players such as Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, and Xavi.
These allegations, along with the team’s financial difficulties, produced a combustible climate.
Bartomeu is assumed innocent until proven guilty in other felony matters.
Financial Difficulties
The club currently has a total debt of approximately $1.4 billion, which has resulted in contentious salary cuts for several players.
Due to a big amount of money owed, speculations about Messi and other high-paid squad members being transferred have spread like wildfire online.
Will Messi remain? Will Laporta follow through on his promise?
The Argentine striker has stated his desire to quit Barcelona, and in an exclusive interview, he offered his side of the story, expressing his discontent with Bartomeu’s leadership.
“I haven’t had fun in the club lately,” the Argentine player admitted.
The club’s debt may complicate matters further by limiting the amount of money they will pay him in wages.
Messi’s contract expires this summer, so Laporta must work hard to secure the deal even as the financial toll of the pandemic mounts.
Despite the numerous obstacles, Laporta has expressed confidence in his ability to keep Messi, saying on the morning of the election, “I will call Jorge Messi tonight if I win.”
He further stated that if he is not chosen, Messi will leave the club.
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Who is the new boss now?
After electing Laporta, the candidates faced a new challenge in the form of Ronald Koeman.
They couldn’t decide whether to keep him or let him go.
However, if the 2020-21 season falls short of expectations, Koeman could be sacked.
Laporta has yet to make a definitive statement on Koeman’s long-term prospects.
