When Deco played he stood out for his competitiveness and character. Also for a facial style, without fuss. As Barcelona's director of football, the Brazilian was the same in his presentation, which took place this Wednesday at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. Concise and confident, Deco answered all questions without answering them. That is to say, he always answered what he wanted without getting into puddles, avoiding controversies and without hesitation. A bit of a fronton but leaving some clear ideas for the staff. “We are putting Barça where it deserves, we are returning competitiveness to the club and we have the dream of winning the Champions League, but not the obligation. The obligation is to compete.” This would be the summary of his philosophy.
Accompanied by the club's senior staff, starting with the president, Joan Laporta, and ending with the first team coach, Xavi, the new football director wanted to emphasize that his football vision is linked to that of the entity. “My philosophy is that of Barça, that's why I always wanted to play for this club. I like good football, with quality players and above all winning. This club has to win. That is the goal when you come to Barça,” he reasoned.
Deco also wanted to emphasize that he gives up important things for him to take charge of the Blaugrana football structure. “I had built beautiful things, I had a company (for player representation), a structure, people behind it and I have left it. I have also left my children far away. But I know the magnitude of Barça's project, and it makes me enormously excited."
The former midfielder believes he will form a good partnership with Xavi. “He knows about coaching and I know about management but if we talk about football we are going to agree although we will not always agree on everything.” Deco assumed Xavi's renewal was done, although he did not specify whether it would be until 2025 or 2026. “You will find out when he renews. He has earned the renewal, not like Xavi Hernández, but as a great coach who is doing a great job.”
Deco appreciated the effort that has been made this summer in creating the squad. “We have created a competitive and balanced team, this year we only needed adjustments after last year's investments. We are not yet at the 'fair play' level as we want, but we will be. We have lowered the wage bill a lot,” he defended.
The new head of the football area presented an organizational chart where the only news is that of himself and that of Bojan Krkic, also present in the room with his parents. “Bojan is going to monitor the young players, and as a former youth player who triumphed and suffered early, he is also going to be in charge of following, helping and taking care of the young people who come up.”
Among these, the fashionable name in Barcelona fans is Lamine Yamal. “He has surprised us a lot, he brings very different things and he is a boy with his feet on the ground, but he is 16 years old and we are going to take care of him and protect him so that his growth continues to be adequate. "We have to let him have fun and play football." In this sense, Deco confirmed that in the near future there will be news about the renewal of Yamal and Balde.
A name floated in the air, that of Mateu Alemany, until now the visible head of Barça's football project. Deco assured that the transfer of roles in recent months was done appropriately. “We have both learned from each other, we come from different backgrounds, he from a more club area and I from a more sports area. “He has decided to follow his path,” responded the Brazilian.
More effusive with Alemany was President Laporta, who wanted to bid him farewell with honors. “First I want to thank Mateu Alemany for his good work during two and a half years in charge of the football area. He has successfully managed a very complicated inheritance and in extremely difficult conditions. He has left with flying colors. He has done an excellent job with a highly competitive sports project. I have worked with a person who is intelligent, an excellent professional and a great person. We wish you good luck. We maintain a friendly relationship, he has the doors of Barça open as long as I am president.”
Laporta glossed the virtues of Deco and argued his choice. “He meets all the conditions to lead the football area. He has been an elite Barça player, he has been a teammate of Xavi, in whom we have placed all the trust. That the two speak the same language is very important, they have a positive discussion of football and a very similar taste in football. Deco has trained, he has been a businessman linked to football and that has made him learn the keys to negotiation in the world of football. He also has another important requirement, he knows the football markets, the Brazilian, the Spanish, the English, and the emerging markets,” he elaborated. He had been at the club for months but Deco already had his public debut.
