Joan Laporta is of anniversary. On 7 March 2021 the FC Barcelona celebrated his presidential elections after the resignation of Josep María Bartomeu, on 27 October 2020. The Catalan lawyer did not have ‘competition’ and signed a goleada with 54,48% of the votes. It has lived a Russian mountain, with the feeling that it has not been able to fulfil with all what imagined to the moment of his return to the Barcelona dispatches.
From the beginning has lived of ‘madness’ in madness’. They happened ten days before it could be investido like president, after obtaining to last moment the necessary guarantees. They have been three full years of altibajos and moments of uncertainty… Prevailing the attempt to return to the Barça to the highest, although it resulted to be more complicated of what ‘Jan’ anticipated in his campaign. It has experienced three difficult years and, definitely, did not imagine the depth of the crisis by which was happening the Barça.
The ‘factor Messi’ like conditioning of Laporta
Laporta Found with millionaire losses and an economic situation, like minimum, delicate. The club follows being in intensive cares and have lived moments harder of which any one expected , starred by the management of the exit of Lionel Messi in 2021, months after the maximum mandator assumed the charge. The lawyer happened long generating hope on the renewal and andn innumerable occasions insinuated that the agreement was smart and only was missing the signature. However, after the holidays of Messi and two days after his return to Barcelona, communicated him that it was impossible that continued in the club due to the fact that they could not inscribe it in the League for exceeding the limit salarial.
The relation remained very touched with the Argentinian, that left to the Paris Saint Germain by two seasons. When finalising his agreement, in the summer of 2023, tanteó the possibility of his return. They were months in which it generated the expectation, but the reality bumped of hit: Two years after the exit of ‘The Flea’, the club neither was able to inscribe him in LaLiga and the disappointment went back to the barcelonismo. The history repeated , once again, and Laporta with his board did not offer this solution that so much expected .
Fair Play, crowbars… What has marked to the Barça
Along these three years, has spoken more than the Fair Play financial, of the ‘crowbars’ economic or of guarantees that of any another thing. Even, in occasions, more than of football. And it is that, although they have taken a lot of measures for ‘solve’ the economic crisis (sponsorships, sale of heritage, between other so many actions), deep down has remained the feeling that the Barça has not been able to go out definitively of intensive cares and that, thus, costs him compete more to the maximum level.
In the section of the sponsors, have achieved alliances with Spotify (2022) at a rate of 67,5 milones of annual euros by the sponsorship of the T-shirt and the ‘naming right’ of the Camp Nou, as well as the signature com Ambilight TV by 56 ‘kilos’ until 2026, the same that the platform of streaming musical. They are the ‘businesses’ that sustain to the Barcelona economy after the ‘crowbars’ economic of 2022.
The wrap with the signings in three years
The Catalans have invested 241 millions in signings without explaining variables: Ferran (55+€10m) in the market of wintry signings of 2022, gone on down the traspasos ‘thank you’ on sale of 25% of the rights of TV of LaLiga by 25 years by (522,5 millions), in addition to 49% of Barça Vision, although it is an operation that follows without closing almost two years después. The true is that of these montos took money to buy to Raphinha (58+7), Lewandowski (45+5) and Koundé (50+12,5). In the last summer arrived agreements by Vitor Roque (30+31) and Oriol Romeu by €3,4m.
They have not been the only players that have dressed of Barcelona in these last three years. And it is that the sportive direction, first with Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruyff, and at present with Deco, has achieved the free incorporations of Memphis, Eric, Agüero, Alves, Christensen, Kessie, Iñigo, Gündogan, Aubameyang, Bellerín and Marcos Alonso, as well as the cessions of Adama Traoré, Luuk of Jong, Joao Cancel and Joao Félix. To the team have not been missing him reinforcements, but never with the feeling of previous years in which they could compete with clubs like the Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain or Manchester City, the ‘rich’ of Europe.
That has been the big and hard reality of the Barça in these last years. They have remained a go through behind the ‘big’ -in the economic appearance- and has happened them bill in the sportive section. In the presidential period only have celebrated three titles: Glass of Rey (2021), Supercopa of Spain (2022) and Lia (2022). On the way, they have remained twice in phase of groups of Champions League and later signed his ‘KO’ in Europe in fourth and dieciseisavos, respectively. This year they keep the hope with the eighth of final of the maximum competition.
The Masia like maximum light in the Barça
As we mentioned previously, it has reigned the uncertainty in more than a moment: With the renewal frustrated of Leo Messi, the dismissal of Ronald Koeman, the contracting of Xavi Hernández… Each extension and registration of the agreements of the players a suffering, although the club always has found the formula, ‘in extremis’ to solve his problems.
They have been three years to live to the limit, but also have had moments of joy and solutions for standing out. Joan Laporta Has been the main defender of the players of The Masia. His dream is to see a XI full of players formed in the inferior categories in the new Camp Nou. The Gavi, Balde, Araújo, Cubarsí or Lamine Yamal have been impulsores of the project. The intention is that it keep like this because, except Superliga European, the Barça will follow several years living with the ‘minimum’ in the market of signings.
