Two years go a long way, especially if they go through Joan Laporta's sieve. The president of FC Barcelona is, in his second reign, since March 2021, and from then until today his mandate has undergone such radical changes that they seem to be those of another candidacy. Messi left when he promised that he would stay, Xavi, his coach, was the coach of another candidate (Víctor Font) and the Super League, the sacred grail, is today a cornered decorative object.
Nor is its executive body the same. The corresponding ideological purge (throwing out those who tolerated Bartomeu's drift was an obligation), was followed by a cascade of dismissals that are not always consistent which, added to the desertions, have left the command post increasingly empty of specialized talent and more full of friendly people, but probably less prepared.
The general manager (Ferran Reverter), the football director (Mateu Alemany), the head of security (Ferran López), the communication heavyweights (Toni Ruiz, Josep Vives and José Manuel Lázaro) and other pillars of different departments have gone giving way to a plenipotentiary Laporta, accentuating a presidentialism that was never hidden, but that never reached such an extreme.
Accustomed to all kinds of seismic movements (much worse was the 2008 crisis, when eight directors resigned from him and from there he was able to make Pep Guardiola's Barça sprout, the best in history), Laporta maintains that characteristic optimism, so catchy for his faithful as reckless for those who are not so much. Living with an unaffordable debt, repaying the 1,450 million euros lent to the Espai Barça (Palau apart), adapting to the financial fair play required by LaLiga, bringing Messi back, moving to Montjuïc... Others, appealing to sanity, they would run away Laporta does not feel dizzy. The impossible serve as gasoline, even when authorized voices ensure that the tank is empty.
From within the club, the possible return of Messi is fed openly, alleging the same reasons that should have served to retain him: ability to generate money as a universal hook and sports benefits that are still very profitable. Two blessings are missing: that of LaLiga and, of course, that of the Argentine. The body led by Javier Tebas wants Messi back, but not at any price. He has on the table the feasibility plan that the Blaugrana club presented to him two seasons away, but he needs to be guaranteed benefits. This summer the club will have them due to the doping of the levers, but without them, Laporta's board of directors will have to demonstrate an expertise when it comes to generating income that they have not shown up to now. Messi's blessing remains to be seen. He will not continue with PSG despite his apologies for skipping training and has an offer from Saudi Arabia of 400 million euros for one season. He will decide once his club wins the League, which he is supposed to win.
To bring Messi and register Gavi, Araújo, Balde, Marcos Alonso and Sergi Roberto with their new contracts, more things will be needed. The savings will imply sales of players, increases in quotas for the few members who will be authorized to go to Montjuïc and general cuts that are already noticeable (closure without contemplation of Barça TV: more than 100 professionals unemployed) and are intuited: the sections will be they start to tremble
Formerly a buyer club, more and more given to sales in summer, Laporta does not hide his great relationship with the super-agent Jorge Mendes, a representative addicted to marketing whom he will ask for help. Mendes has Ansu Fati, Balde and Lamine Yamal in his portfolio (and also Nico, on loan to Valencia, and Abde, on loan to Osasuna) and has Wolverhampton as a satellite club. It is no coincidence that the name of Ruben Neves (Wolverhampton) sounds insistently as a substitute for Busquets in the midfield. Does Xavi like it? Well not much. The role of the new football director after the departure of Mateu Alemany will be vital this summer. Deco sounds for the position, as revealed by RAC1. Deco, Raphinha's agent, learned the trade from Mendes, his representative when he was a footballer. The commission dance will be inevitable. In the campaign, Laporta said that they would be transparent with that. Two years ago. At present, already two centuries.
