Joan Laporta: "I give the team an excellent rating for winning, and for doing so against our eternal rival."

He'd barely slept a couple of hours when Joan Laporta (62) welcomed La Vanguardia on Friday in his office at the club's headquarters, next to Camp Nou. He hadn't rested, but he was immensely happy. Proudly, he showed off his blue and red tie, "the tie of the finals," the one that has brought him luck this season. The Barça president feels he has successfully crowned his most difficult campaign and exudes pride in what Hansi Flick's team has achieved and how they achieved it.

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If you had to choose one moment from this season, what would it be?

These questions are the most complicated because, initially, you're left with all the positive aspects. But you're also left with the moments of suffering and overcoming adversity (she becomes emotional, tears in her eyes). Those I've experienced with my team, with Manana, my chief of staff, with Enric Masip, with Jordi Finestres, with Alejandro Echevarría, with Deco, who reminds me a lot of Txiki Begiristain in his way of working. And with everyone's reaction when we saw that there were attempts at destabilization with the issue of the institutional smear campaign. I'm left with the moments when they changed the fair play rules and therefore we couldn't register Olmo and Pau Víctor. We've been brave, and the results are there. It's in those moments when you see the reaction and you see that it was all worth it in the end.

Has Hansi Flick exceeded your expectations?

The objective, which was to win the league, has been achieved. That's our main objective. Flick has said it in many statements. I like what he says about it being the most honest competition. Because it demonstrates hard work, perseverance, improvement, and sacrifice. In the league, you always have a rough patch, and we managed to overcome it.

What I like most about Flick is his sensitivity in leading the group.”

What do you value most about the coach?

The special sensitivity with which he's been able to lead the group. He's taken it as a vital motivation. He has this ability to connect you to the project, to make you believe you're important. And I think he's conveyed this to the players and those around him. And he's smart. He speaks English, and that's his decision because I think he understands Spanish, but maybe someone has told him not to speak it (laughs). That way, maybe he feels more comfortable and more secure and avoids unnecessary confrontations.

You always liked the German school of management for this Barça…

I've always liked Johan Cruyff's Dutch style. But yes, I did speak to German coach Ralf Rangnick when I read an interview with him about Johan. And he mentioned Tuchel, Nagelsmann, Klopp, and Flick. And we came to the conclusion that the most suitable player might be Hansi. Deco and Bojan's trip ended up deciding everything.

I was lucky enough to have Rijkaard and Pep's Barça, and this Barça is captivating."

What does Flick have that the rest don't?

Others had a lot of knowledge, but some weren't club coaches, and others didn't know how to deal with stars well enough. Hansi met all these requirements; he was good at everything.

So the renovation is well underway…

It had already been mentioned that in January we had agreed to extend his contract for another year, until 2027. We haven't formalized that agreement, but Hansi is a man of his word. He proved it when he said he couldn't come to Barça because he had signed for the German national team. But it was already in his mind, and mine, that he would one day coach Barça.

What grade do you give this season?

Excellent. Because not only did we win the League , but we also won the Cup and the Super Cup. And that's commendable because we won it against our arch-rivals, even though they had strengthened. But we were better. Now it's about continuing like this, evaluating and analyzing the squad, and continuing to win. What I like is that there's room for improvement.

What can be improved?

For Hansi, everything needs to be studied very thoroughly. This year, we played in our own way, Barça's own way, but I think, like any coach, he's evolved the system. And to do so, a lot of study is required because change requires coordination from the entire team, and that doesn't happen mid-season. I know they're going to study more variations in the system to counteract the shortcomings we've had at times.

After Hansi Flick's contract renewal, will Lamine Yamal's contract also come?

He's a genius who enjoys Barça, who has friends at Barça, and who, moreover, is part of this generation that has spent a lot of time with his teammates. He's a player of superlative individual talent, but he's also a team player and he's comfortable. He also has an agent, Jorge Mendes, with whom we communicate easily. His renewal is practically already agreed upon; it only requires ratification.

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Will he be paid like one of the best players in the world?

At Barça, we pay players based on their abilities. We're a club that pays well. We also say that you can't be better off anywhere than Barça. The analysis that says not everyone can play on the same team and you can't have all the best players in the world is another matter. And that's where the key to the team lies. Lamine is a player who can succeed anywhere. We know that. It happened to me with Leo Messi, who was wanted by Inter. And we ended up deciding together, including Leo's father, that Barça would be the best project for him. And that's what happened because he became the best in history. Lamine, at 17, is one of the best in the world. He's happy, and so is his family.

The renewal of Lamine Yamal is almost agreed upon, it only requires ratification.

The profile of these families has changed a lot…

I'll tell you... We had to create the Barça Parents' Association (AMPA). The FC Barcelona Players' Parents' Association. I think the presidency here would go to Pedri's father. It's very strange, because I remember the other days, when the players were, let's say, older, and you were the older brother. With this generation, I'm like the father or the grandfather. The thing is, they really integrate you; they're so funny that they include you in the celebrations, and you even feel young. And I'm very grateful. Because I also think it's a very well-balanced group in every way. I'm lucky to have presided over Rijkaard's Barça or Guardiola's Barça, which were benchmark teams and also conveyed a lot of good vibes. And this Barça is captivating.

Has Raphinha surprised you?

We knew about his talent. But everything has an adaptation period, and some players need more time. What Flick has done with Raphinha is extraordinary, and he's established himself as the captain of this team. He even campaigned, handing out stickers to get people to vote for him. He's also very happy in the city. Securing his future is one of the pending issues we have for the coming days or weeks. We don't want to keep any player with one year left on their contract. We want them to have more years because they've earned it, and because we're also interested as a club in maintaining this winning group.

Is this also the case with De Jong?

I've always been a big fan of De Jong. He's one of those who maintains Barça's style of play. He's from the Ajax school. He has a lot of personality, and I think he's having a good time. Maybe when we don't win, people have a harder time, and he also had the ankle injury. He especially likes to be 100 percent fit. He's also a man who runs a lot of miles, who has a lot of courage, who sets the pace in games. Now he's recovered, and we're working on that renewal. He's very excited; we're very determined to do whatever it takes to keep him there. Well, he's sorting out some personal and professional issues, and when that's resolved, we'll be able to announce that he's staying with us.

And will Szczesny remain in goal?

We want him to stay. The other day he was celebrating the victory while smoking a cigar. I saw he wanted to stay. We also have good goalkeepers in the reserve team and in the youth team .

There's a slightly delicate case, that of Ansu Fati. Are you struggling with his situation?

Ansu is a Barça player, he has a valid contract. We want him to progress. He's an extraordinary player, he contributes a lot to the group. I always say he's the music of this team. He's a player who's gone through some difficulties, and I'd love for him to get back into form. Hopefully, he'll get more minutes next year.

As president of Barça, do you feel like you've been more aggressive about Real Madrid 's pressure on referees, like the ones seen in the Copa del Rey final?

Everyone has their own style; we've maintained a way of doing things in relation to how we run the club. It's none of my business what others do. We all use our strategies to win. I've learned to keep my distance, without ceasing to be who I am, because it's within me. I have my team from the presidential cabinet here who helps me a lot with this.

The return to Camp Nou

Will the match against Villarreal be the team's last at Montjuïc?

It seems so. Montjuïc has turned out better than we expected. The culés who climbed Montjuïc deserve everything. The Barcelona fans have responded. We've had very high attendance figures. The Olímpic has worked very well, and the investment we made has been worth it. Now we plan to play at the Spotify Camp Nou next season. We'll go there and have an atypical season in which we'll play while we finish building the stadium. It will be 90% built in December. It will be finished in the summer of 2026, and we may be a little delayed with the roof. Therefore, if everything goes as planned, the Villarreal match will be the last at Montjuïc.

Can the Gamper be played at the Camp Nou now, or are they looking for a second option?

We want to play at Camp Nou. That's what we'd like, but I'd also like to finish the stadium as soon as possible, and the more time we have for construction and less time for games, the faster we can go.

The Camp Nou will be ready in the summer of 2026, the roof will be delayed.

Can you explain what the return to Camp Nou will be like? Will it be gradual, will there be a Free Season, and what will the season tickets be like?

No, until everything is built, we'll follow the same season pass system. Season ticket holders won't always be able to sit in the same seat. Because when we return, we'll have 60,000 seats, and this means not all season tickets will be assigned. We'll follow the same system as Montjuïc because it's a fair and democratic system. Ways are being sought to give some preference to members who accompanied us to Montjuïc.

In principle, the match against Villarreal will be the last one we play at Montjuïc”

How and when will Spotify Camp Nou payments start?

We have to start paying for it once it's finished. It will be paid for with the additional income the stadium will generate. Of this, one third will be used to pay for the financing, another third for the club, and another third for contingencies that may arise. Our feasibility studies for repaying the financing have been very conservative. I'm convinced the stadium will generate much more. The financial structure that has been put in place will work.

How do you expect those revenues to be?

We're seeing a lot of potential. I think revenue will be much higher than expected. VIP seats have sold out at breakneck speed; they're being snatched out of our hands. We're very pleased with how companies and sponsors are responding. Our new business department is also being very imaginative about how we can make the businesses within the stadium much more profitable by granting temporary licenses. Having a new, modern stadium generates a lot.

Draw an idyllic picture…

We're not talking about Alice in Wonderland, but about a new stadium with enormous revenue-generating capacity, and we're working hard to optimize it.

Did you ever consider applying the penalty clause to the Limak construction company, which was 1 million euros for each day of delay?

Let's see, we have the contract as it is. We have a good understanding with Limak. For them, it's an iconic project that opens up many opportunities; they're very involved and committed. Both parties understand the situations regardless of what the contracts say, and we both have good faith. There are unforeseen circumstances that both parties assess, and we will never take advantage of them. There have been some delays, but the pace of construction is good. There are some dates that must be met, such as December 31, 2025, when the VIP boxes must be operational because that already affects investors and that's when we have to start repaying the financing. The other date that must be met is that the stadium must be completed by the summer of 2026.

The club's economy

Specifically, speaking of the VIP boxes, when this whole operation is formalized, will Barça return to the 1:1 fair play rule?

Barça is already within the 1:1 fair play rule. This depends on the season. We have it accredited; it was accredited to us in the winter window. Each year, the salary cap is assigned. We're working to ensure our accounts allow us to comply with fair play regulations next season. We think we're on the right track. What happened a few weeks ago was a matter of timing. When the interim financial statements arrive at LaLiga , they arrive on March 31, and at that time, we had a change of auditors, and the new ones didn't accept transactions that have helped UEFA recognize the work we've done. When it came to accounting for the VIP seats, they said there had to be an additional step. This step has already been taken and will be accounted for shortly. It was a step in line with the stadium works. There was a technical discussion, a matter of interpretation. The new auditors have exercised an extra criterion of prudence, without rectifying what the previous ones did. They set an additional condition, and we've already met it. I hope it can be recorded soon, and this will allow us to be in compliance for the time being. This doesn't end on June 30th because various transactions can occur before the league starts, such as player sales or other transactions. I'm optimistic and think we'll be back under the 1:1 rule from the start of the market.

I think we will once again comply with fair play from the start of the market.”

Can we get more details about the VIP box investors?

They've already been mentioned. A company from Qatar and a company from Dubai. One is called New Era, and I can't remember the other right now. But it's in our accounts, it's passed our internal controls and filters, and they've already paid more than 40% of the contracts. They've already paid a total of 58 million of the planned 100 million. We maintain maximum transparency, but we do little gossip.

He talks about maximum transparency, but has been relying on confidentiality clauses…

We must respect these clauses, but we have maintained maximum transparency in these contracts. We have not hidden who signed, who represents these companies, or the reasons for these transactions. For anyone who doesn't like it, I'm truly sorry, but it turned out well for us. Because thanks to this transaction, we were able to register Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor. We've had the flexibility to resolve all the problems and obstacles they've put in our way.

I still feel good and I think the project needs to continue.”

Regarding the multi-million dollar contract the club signed with Nike, Darren Dein's name came up, and he received a very high commission. Would you work with him again?

Of course, if it brings us contracts like the one with Spotify or resolves a major conflict like the one we had with Nike, then of course.

Another controversial name that's cropping up in Barça's history is that of agent André Cury. Does Barcelona intend to continue collaborating with him?

In this last stage, I've barely worked with André Cury, except for a few players. He's an agent who knows the Brazilian market very well. There are others, not just Cury, with whom we've had conflicts at times and then agreed on other deals. Anyone who has an interesting proposal for Barça, we'll consider it. We don't have a blacklist of people we can't deal with. We try to be as flexible as possible. We act professionally and with Barça's interests in mind, not just from a visceral perspective.

Regarding management, one last concern. The auditors said the value of Barça Studios was much lower than what you claimed. Have you found new investors for this line of business?

Yes, there are. There has been a merger by absorption of Bridgeburg. Barça Produccions has acquired this company. This is a business that takes time. We have many technological proposals. We want to gradually recover shares. We hold more than 55%.

The future of Barcelona

When there's trouble, he always seems to land on his feet. Do you consider yourself a lucky president?

Well, I consider myself lucky. Luck always catches me working. I'm surrounded by people who work very well, who advise me. I like advice, and I also like to make my own decisions. I have my own personality, my way of being, my way of working, and my way of deciding. I'm brave when it comes to making decisions; I feel lucky. You seek your luck. In these more difficult times, I can say that things have worked out more or less well for me.

You seek your luck. In these more difficult times, I can say that things have worked out more or less well for me.

Do you still have the energy and desire to run for office again?

During this term, we've dedicated ourselves to saving the club and its financial recovery. The project is broader. We want to modernize the club. I still feel good and think the project must continue. I'm at an age where I still feel strong, I have many dreams, I have projects to pursue, and Barça is my life right now, and I live it very intensely. I've never encountered so many difficulties during all my years at the helm of the club, but the fact that I've overcome them also motivates us to feel strong enough to continue in office. So when I have to call elections, I will call them. But I won't bring them forward.