Joan Laporta has spoken at a press conference to explain the details of the Olmo and Pau Víctor case and the whole controversy over the registrations. The Barça president has confirmed that FC Barcelona presented the documentation "in time and form" and has denounced attacks to harm the club.
Laporta has attended to more than 50 media outlets, at a press conference that took place at the Joan Gamper Sports City before the first team training session and the subsequent appearance of Hansi Flick in the Copa del Rey preview against Betis. Alongside Laporta were vice-presidents Rafa Yuste and Elena Fort, as well as treasurer Ferran Olivé and directors Xavi Puig, Joan Soler, Angel Riudalbas, Aureli Mas, Xavier Barbany, Deco, Bojan and Alejandro Echevarría.
Laporta has also answered questions about the CSD's injunction after the joint 'no' from LaLiga and the RFEF, the 1:1 rule, the granting of VIP seats, the return to the Spotify Camp Nou, the opposition and the motion of censure, criticism from some media and the possible campaign to destabilise the club, Real Madrid and Florentino, the Super League, the renewal of Ronald Araujo, among other topics. We review them.
The 1-1 rule and the registrations of Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor
"The last two weeks have seen two events that confirm some things and deny others. In general, they highlight the strengths. And they deny the circles that have done it out of ignorance or bad faith. The first fact is that we are back to 1-1 and we are signing players normally again. This allows us to sign players like Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor"
"To get to 1-1 we had to sign contracts like the one with Nike, the best sportswear contract in the world of football. This also refutes those who say that the club gives a bad image or is poorly managed. Nothing that has happened in recent weeks, in relation to the signings of Olmo and Pau, has surprised us. Looking back at the history of Barça, you could expect it"
"We presented documentation to LaLiga on December 27. It was delivered on time before the end of the year. From the 29th, 30th and 31st they asked us for more documentation and we We understood that everything was correct for the 1-1. LaLiga asked us for alternative documentation that was not in accordance with the regulations. We also submitted the documentation to the RFEF, which told us that we were missing the 1-1. But both LaLiga and the RFEF told us that the regulation was obsolete. On the 3rd we completed the documentation that LaLiga asked us to validate the fair play."
"Barça has always complied with the regulations. We are in a state of law. And the CSD, in order to give a precautionary measure, considers that there is damage that is difficult to repair. And so the CSD and the state attorney's office appreciated the precautionary measure. That it could have been done before. We had to plan to register him with the contract with Nike. Then Christensen got injured and we took advantage of that to register Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor. "That's what they had told us"
The contract with Nike is a signing bonus that makes the treasury robust like no other. We were thinking of signing it with Nike. But we waited to continue negotiating and we got around 300 million more in the contract. We continued with the work, they asked us to approve the contract with Nike by assembly. And so we did. They told us later that it was not a new contract and only a part was counted for us. Then we went to court, which in this case did not give us the reason"
"And we activated the transfer of the exploitation of the VIP seats. We have 9,600 with the new stadium. We have transferred about 425 for exploitation. It is a very attractive product. We have managed to get two investors: One 75 seats and the other, 350 VIP seats. All this for an amount that was what we needed to register the two players. It was validated by LaLiga and gave us the 1-1"
Attacks on FC Barcelona
"A large part of the success of fulfilling these four pillars has been successful because the majority of members have understood that this was to save Barça. And to survive attacks by land, sea and air from outside, and also from within. When FC Barcelona re-emerges as a leader in the world of football, various actors, with their media support, join forces to unite a story that has nothing to do with reality. We already know this modus operandi because it is repeated cyclically. Because we all know each other."
"Once again they have not gotten their way. And they have not done so because the board and the executives have become strong. They wanted to liquidate us. And we have achieved what we wanted: the registrations of Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor. Most people have understood that it was an attack on the shield. And the shield is not stained. Any campaign to discredit the club will not prevent us from continuing to be a reference in the world of sport and from continuing to be admired by thousands of people around the world."
"I am I am used to receiving criticism and suffering actions that go beyond all ethical codes. But what I cannot accept is that this audit is accompanied by lies. I cannot allow them to take advantage of the criticism of the president to discredit the club. And I will not let that happen."
"We have renewed our energies to continue fighting these actions that are aimed at destabilizing the club at a key moment in our history, in the face of a new and young team that is destined to give many joys to Barcelona fans, which is already a reality at this time. The destabilizers from outside and those from within will have to work hard to bring us down. They will have to work much harder if what they intend is to destabilize a club that has more than 125 years of history."
Increase in income and reduction in wages
"Four years ago they gave us their trust to run the club. Since then we have been based on four pillars: Increased income, reduction of the wage bill, with the premise that the team would not lose competitiveness, also the third pillar was not to put the association ownership model at risk and the fourth was that the recovery did not make the members dig into their pockets"
"This has been completed. In such a way that it has not been improvised, nor by chance, nor by impulse of the president. It has been done because we have worked well. From the very beginning we have been consolidating a strategic plan that is very detailed and evaluated weekly by the club's bodies. Also thanks to the talent, knowledge, intelligence, audacity and courage of the club's executives. They are working very well. We have never given up. And it has been achieved because we love Barça"
Works and return to Spotify Camp Nou
"We are building a new stadium. It is not a remodeling, it is building a new stadium. And we will return as soon as possible, when we can. This new Spotify Camp Nou is the key to generating new income in the coming years"
Deco, Hansi Flick, players and the team's successes
"While these facts are being noted, the culés are enjoying a committed squad, with people from the house, with an exceptional coach like Flick. This group is very reinforced in the physical aspect, thanks to the work of Julio Tous and his team. And this is thanks to our director of football, Deco, and his team, who allow us to experience nights like those in Jeddah.”
The board has not improvised
"Since we became president we were forced to reduce expenses and we wanted to do it without the members having to dig deep into their pockets. And in the meantime we are building a new stadium. Nothing has been done by improvisation. We have done it by working. We have followed a strategic plan that we have been evaluating weekly by the club's control bodies, with its executives at the head. Barça from external attacks on our values"
"I cannot accept this supervision of my position. Nor that criticism of the president is used to attack the club. The destabilisers, from within and outside Barcelona, will have to work hard to bring us down, to bring down a club with more than 125 years of history"
The role of the opposition
"The opposition? They had a golden opportunity to show that they love Barça, and they didn't do it. They sided with those who wanted to harm us and with media that were quite hostile."
"The opposition has sided with those who wanted to harm us and destabilise us. Does anyone think that the president of Barça could resign because of a decision by the League and the RFEF? Well, they have swallowed it with potatoes..."
QUESTION TIME FROM THE JOURNALISTS
On the resignation requested by the opposition
"They had a golden opportunity to show that they love Barça. And they didn't take advantage of it. They positioned themselves on the side that wanted to harm us. On the side of hostile media. Now they all appear, in a hurry. And I tell them to be patient. They have lost a golden opportunity to show that they love Barça. They have positioned themselves on the side of organisations that wanted to destabilise them"
Does anyone believe that I will resign because of a decision by LaLiga or the RFEF? We will sell our skin dearly. You could imagine that. I am very disappointed with the people who have aspirations to be president. It was not about being on Laporta's side, it was about being on Barça's side"
"I greatly value the strength that the players and their entire team have had in these moments of maximum suffering. We put up with everything, but the suffering that our players have had, our players and in general our club in general... fortunately, the majority of culés have understood it in order to destabilise us. It seemed that they wanted us to fail. Poor Barça if it falls into their hands. I hope it never falls into these hands. They have once again prioritised their interests over those of Barça. All of them, eh. All of them. The vote of censure is for exceptional situations. It was even said that it came from within. This is already far-fetched."
How the players experienced it
"They have suffered a lot. Their families too. It is not pleasant. We told them that we were going to do it. But not only do you have to be right, they also have to give you the right. They could not play and they saw the consequences that it had, but they behaved like a dream. They were worried, trying not to disturb the group dynamic. It was not easy because it did not depend on us. I am happy to believe in the rule of law and in justice. We have worked very well and in the end we have achieved what we wanted"
"The fact that the CSD has finally granted the precautionary measure is very important, as well as leaving the LaLiga-RFEF body that cancelled the registration as not competent. Our appeal has been praised and I congratulate Pere Lluís Mellado, head of legal services"
On Raphinha's words
"It has been managed well, as it should be managed. This is how the club should be managed. With the ability to resist and contributing knowledge and courage. And loving Barça. And I am satisfied because we have worked like this"
"The captain's criticism. This is not true. The captain came out, you cajoled him and led him into the garden... Afterwards they told me that if such and such... But this apocalyptic story that some of you are in is not taking root. Juli Guiu's resignation has nothing to do with it"
Effects of the VIP boxes
"We will continue to do this operation. This operation has been in the works for some time. Barça will continue to collect these 300 million VIP seats. And also 100 million more. They can do the exploitation, with the risk and benefit, as well as cede the exploitation"
"It is an operation that is being done in the USA. We think it is much more beneficial for the entity. There is an investor from Qatar, who contributed 30 million that we credited to the League. There are also 70 million from the United Arab Emirates, who paid on December 31, but did not arrive until the 3rd. That is why we presented the documentation in a timely manner."
On insults in the box
"I had a contained euphoria. We had achieved something very difficult, against everyone and against everything. And in the context of this contained euphoria I had a reaction. And in no case did I insult anyone, nor did I kick anyone, nor did I grab anyone by the neck. I did not do this."
"I was talking to the president of the RFEF who was to grant the licenses but then we talked about it and clarified everything. I had a reaction and it is done. Tebas? I do not intend to point the finger at anyone. We are the great defenders of the rule of law. They shot before asking. We were doing complicated work."
Thanks to the constructive media
"I also want to thank those who have been patient. You have had an attitude and constructive criticism. But not asking for resignations, or harassing, or with bile. Some, very few, even hate. I'll stick with those who have been prudent, which has been a much more intelligent position. And those who have not, now have to put up with it"
On the critical media
"There have been many who had the intention of destabilising the club and others who didn't. But I'm not deluded. But there are some who if they don't say that nobody will listen to them. Let everyone say what they have to do. But I have to tell them that no, it hasn't worked out well for them. We have suffered, yes, but we have worked well and we have achieved it. And this modus operandi will happen again. We know who they are and nobody here is sucking their thumb"
On the statements of 3-S about not having the 1-1 because they didn't want to
"At that time we could have We closed a deal with Nike that was worse than the one we have. But since we had alternatives, we opted for those alternatives. Which had a certain risk, yes, but like all alternatives. What I said on September 3 is valid”
Nike: Why Barça has the best contract and why someone from outside is coming
"Since I arrived, I saw that Nike's contract had to be changed. We didn't have e-commerce, we had 'malus', it limited us with BLM... The contract we had when I left is very similar, eleven years later. And with 'malus'.
We changed the strategy and put another group of people to work on this operation. And it was achieved in a different way. Mistrust was generated and then we brought positions closer thanks to a mediator. He reported money that Nike owed us, we were able to go to market and we regained trust. And in this sense, we recognized the work of the mediator and the fees were shared between the multinational and Barça”
On LaLiga's appeal
"Everyone is in their right. If I am a defender of the rule of law, I cannot say that they do not do what they consider within a legal framework. I am not aware of any challenge to prejudice the registration of the players. It is my opinion and my intuition. I have no intention of attacking anyone”
The position of Florentino Pérez and Real Madrid
"I am not going to reveal the private conversations with other presidents. I can tell you that the clubs that have not positioned themselves against, I am grateful to them. They have seen clearly that it was not the way. We can be maximum rivals on the field of play, but outside, within a framework such as the employers' association, we must defend the interests of the clubs. There are many clubs that have not positioned themselves and I am grateful to them. They have legal services that know what we are talking about and that know that we are within the law and with prospects of prospering in this process”
"With the people of Madrid, we talked about the Super Cup. We have to improve some aspects, although the organization was very good. But everything that it entails, perhaps we should be better paid and get more profit. It was in an atmosphere of harmony, but at that time everything was already more in place”
Which societies are those of Qatar or the Emirates?
"They are companies from Qatar and the Emirates that have gone through compliance. There are 475 VIP seats, not 425. Thanks to Uncle Faja, only to Uncle Faja. Not to the group, not to the program. And you can eat the lies with potatoes."
Excited and suffering
"We are made of different stuff. But this creates a lot of anguish. And it makes you suffer especially for the players. I repeat to those who have believed in us. And I encourage you to continue believing. I know you are one of the people who has been patient and has not had to eat with potatoes”
On the victory and on the income of 100 million
"We have the right to increase the price per VIP seat. In addition to these 300 million that we will be collecting because we are the owners, we have subscribed 100 million more of which we have already collected 58 million. The economic commission will publish a report on the seats that will be made public"
"After beating Athletic, I think that what Olmo and Pau Víctor did helped. The parents of all the players told us that they were very convinced of winning. We played a great game”
On the Super League
"It was planned to be earlier, but in this sense it is being delayed and is still alive. It is so that the clubs have more income for the sustainability of European football. We are proactive in this harmonization of what football is in Europe. We do this to prevent other competitions from becoming prominent, so that we are not at a competitive disadvantage"
On Araujo's future
"We want the players we have in the squad to continue. He has a valid contract, but he is talking to the sports management. We will find a solution. We appreciate him very much on a professional level, but above all on a personal level. There are some circumstances that I don't want to detail, but there is room to find a solution that is satisfactory for everyone”
On the upcoming elections
"I am working hard with our board of directors. It is a pleasure to be the president of this board. We are seeing that our work is finally having some success. I am enjoying it a lot and I hope that all the culés are enjoying it. With a young team and with a club that is once again a world reference. I am very happy, and in 2026 we will see. What I want is to carry out our objectives. We are building a new stadium. We want to do so at the beginning of 2025, if there are no unforeseen events"
"I want the team to continue winning, to continue being admired by the world of football. In Saudi Arabia and around the world we have received congratulations. Things are going well. We already have an important title, won with dignity with spectacular play and hopefully we can have many more this year and continue to give joy to Barcelona fans"
On the alleged insults in Saudi Arabia and the clubs that have positioned themselves against the Barça
"I didn't insult anyone. I just told the president of the RFEF what I thought after what had been said previously. I uttered a few words in a context of contained euphoria in which there was a part of indignation. With the presidents of the territorial associations, the reaction was not directed at them"
"It is obvious that I regret those who have positioned themselves against it, I think that is not the way. For an issue of this type. We are all here to comply with the rules and they are for everyone equally. But it is done according to the circumstances. Not everything is applied equally, according to the circumstances. We are not going to break relations, everyone has their right. Defending the interests of Barça, of course. That some clubs have positioned themselves against it I have seen as out of place and it has surprised us”
On LaLiga's documentation
"I think they have acted against their own actions because in similar situations they had not asked for it. It has been a superlative tension, but we were overcoming the obstacles. They were rather formal requirements. More formal data. Some formal technical requirements, which we were complementing. On December 31 it was presented in time and form. It remained to prove a part of the payment, which is not common. They demanded 40 million to prove the operation”
On Barça's non-payments Vision provoked LaLiga's requests
"I suppose it impacted LaLiga's criteria, yes. But it is imputing a non-payment to us. I see that it is a condition that sometimes seems to give us diabolical evidence. Other clubs have also received non-payments and they are not penalized so much for it. With hindsight... The reality is different"
"We are going to try to sign up with the Nike contract. Also through Ter Stegen, it is not possible... But a product had also been worked on at the beginning of 2024. And he and I went to Qatar, which paid 30 million... All these are circumstances that are occurring. But you have to have a robust organization, a club that works, to look for the best alternative"
"That an entire CSD, with the state's legal team behind it, has given the precautionary measure, but what convinces me most is that for them there is an appearance of good
"Saudi Arabia also has an interest in our women's football... There is a certain openness, which did not exist a few years ago. I think that promoting a country directly is very different from doing this type of business with companies from countries that are investing in the entire world of sport. We feel comfortable with both investors, from Qatar and Emirates."