Laportismo could not be understood without one of its founding figures. Albert Perrín (1944), a retired businessman born in Sants, has known the current president since he was a child. Vice President in his first term, today he sees everything from the sidelines. And he wishes his friend all the luck.
Do you live Barça with the same passion as always?
I live it with concern because my friend is the president and it affects me to see him suffer.
Why not help him from within?
I'm old enough and I have to dedicate many hours to it. Managers, better with energy.
Do you see Laporta with energy?
By force it will not be, but the situation is very complicated.
You are practically the 'father' of the creature...
After separating I decided to follow Barça everywhere. Over time I got to know some journalists and a movement opposed to Núñez began to emerge.
His great adversary.
Well, he was a great president...
How?
If he had retired in '92 after Wembley he would be considered one of the best presidents in history.
You squeezed him...
We needed a change, no one should remain in power forever. Joan Patsy, one of those journalists, introduced me to Armand Carabén, and there, from meetings with people like Jacint Borràs or Evarist Murtra, something began to take shape. One day I decided to invite Joan Laporta.
Very young.
I used to spend the summer in Castelldefels and my neighbor was Dr. Joan Laporta, Jan's father. I've known him since he was a child. He gave refresher classes to my children. "Leave me 100 pesetas Albert, my father doesn't stretch himself...", he told me (laughs). I love him very much.
And he came to the meetings...
We felt the need to do something and the elephant was born.
The blue elephant
We ruled out other colors before... Impossible white. We made pins… 'The elephant has started to walk', I put on a card that I send to classmates. And Pilar Rahola, a good friend of Jan, put it on her lapel on a television show. That's where it all started.
The elephant began to walk. Where do we have it now?
Hibernating... (laughs). Going against someone is not pleasant, but society needs a revulsion. It is essential to evolve.
You were very belligerent.
I have always been it. I did what I had to do.
How has Barça changed in these 20 years?
Is very bad. Gaspart left it bad for us but not as broken as they have left it now. We have debts, we have to build a stadium... Without the help of the partners this won't get off the ground, I ask for your patience because difficult times are coming.
I find you alarmist.
I only ask that this does not lead us to convert the club into a public limited company. It is a danger, my heart sinks.
Do you see it possible?
When you enter into these dynamics or you go to bankruptcy or you ally yourself with someone.
Is Bartomeu's board the only culprit?
The pandemic has influenced but no club has been affected more than Barça. His management was disastrous. Salaries, for example.
When they put the action of responsibility, did you speak with Bartomeu?
I maintain relationships but I always say what I think. The last time I told him 'there is nothing more dangerous than a fool who does not know that he is, and it seems to me that it is your case', and I say it with affection.
Goodness…
He surrounded himself with characters who, instead of helping him build, dug his grave.
In the 2003 photograph they were all together. Today everything is trenches. What happened?
It has always been like that at Barça but with our board they went too far. It was all trials and more trials. They made us bitter. Where is now that group of partners that demanded and demanded? And the 'Diario Gol', where is it?
Was there no reason?
They said that we were managers for money, but I lost money. You are going to serve Barça, not to serve yourself.
Have you forgiven the liability action?
I forgive but not forget. And more after what they did. I still remember Sandro with the 'I will not fail you'. Well less bad. I hope that facing the mayor's office does not repeat it because then I already tremble. We left them a top team and coach in 2010 and nothing was left.
Barça let Messi out. Crying.
I'm a friend of Leo and his wife. He cried on a Sunday and on Tuesday he signed for PSG. A contract of this magnitude is made in two days?
Laporta promised the people that he would fix it.
Its his way of being. Sometimes wishes cannot be fulfilled.
Could Laporta lack a strong executive team?
Jan needs to feel around her people she trusts. Reverter is a great executive, but I think there were discrepancies and some family issue. His figure should be replaced, I think Jan will.
Are you improvising?
Jan thinks this can get him back on track. In his style. And he will fight to the death so that Barça continues to be one of the partners. If he had to criticize him for something, I think he failed to warn of the seriousness when he arrived, warning that the first two seasons would be terrible, without promising titles and pulling from the quarry.
Ferran Torres, Raphinha…
It is normal. The partner doesn't want to lose. But have you seen the team that Xavi was left with? If Johan were alive he would kill us… We give responsibility to very young players. Pedri, Gavi, Ansu Fati…
Cruyff would like Xavi...
Yes, because he is a soccer fan. But beware, here we think that repeating something like Guardiola's is simple. Pep had extraordinary players, Xavi. No. He is doing well but little by little.
Dembele signed.
I didn't like it. She's only thought about him all this time.
Do you see yourself someday in the new stadium?
Why did they take down our Foster project? It was worth 20 percent of what it costs now. Anyway, my idea was always different.
Which?
The mountain of the Barça. That Montjuïc contained everything. Stadium, Palau, sports city...
Is the end of isms possible?
I see it as very difficult and, with the emergence of social networks, almost impossible. Insults, lies...
Madrid has an advantage in that.
Madrid controls all the media, here we don't know how to do it, nor is it right to do it. If Florentino's audios come out here, the one that gets involved. There he was covered. Here we are self-destructive.
