Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, has begun giving a series of interviews now that his club has secured the league title. The always outspoken Barça executive spoke yesterday evening on the Catalan television channel TV3 for about an hour, covering all the current topics related to the Blaugrana club. Lamine Yamal`s contract renewal, Hansi Flick`s successful season, and refereeing were the most pressing issues discussed during the chat.
Lamine Yamal`s Renewal: Complex but Possible
Regarding the contract extension for the 17-year-old star, he commented: “You always have to suffer… It`s being worked on, and it looks like it will go well because Lamine is a great player and an extraordinary person, and more mature.” When asked about the salary the youngster from Rocafonda will receive, Laporta noted: “It must always correspond to his importance, regardless of age. He needs special treatment. A player who has burst onto the scene like this needs special treatment; it`s outside the norm. We need to align Lamine`s interests with the club`s. And I think we will achieve that. It needs to be coordinated with the timing. We hope for understanding from all parties. Both from the player and his environment – his representative and family – there are good feelings. He is Catalan, a Cule through and through, and he identifies with the club. I think he is well-advised.”
Comparisons between the Spanish international and Lionel Messi also extend to contractual matters. In this regard, Laporta spoke about repeating the formula used with the Argentine superstar: “In the first contract we made with Messi, it consolidated the bonuses. And since he won everything, that consolidated into his salary.”
Precisely the most iconic `10` in Barcelona`s history is Lionel Messi, and now it seems that Lamine Yamal will wear this number starting next season. “Deco will decide that; it`s an internal matter. What I like about Lamine is that he has individual talent, but he participates in the collective game. He`s a modern player who knows how to defend,” Joan Laporta stated about the winger`s potential number change.
The Success of the Flick Signing
“It`s true that when we signed him, I explained and gave him a letter about what Barça is – that we don`t just like to win, but we also care about how we do it. He understood it perfectly,” explained the FC Barcelona president.
Asked who deserves credit for bringing in the German coach, Laporta made it clear it wasn`t him and praised the work of Deco and Bojan: “The credit goes to Deco and Bojan, who decided he was the appropriate choice. I only provide guidance. The merit is Deco`s and his team`s. I was already talking about him during the campaign because I followed the German school… And he met the conditions, but he had given his word to the German national team. And we had Koeman. Flick has Johan`s look, crystalline blue eyes… and he sees football like him. And he is a rigorous person who knows how to handle players. Without criticizing Xavi, who won a league and a Super Cup… but we needed a change, and he met all the requirements.”
Finally, he shared the information that the German coach`s contract renewal is agreed upon but not yet signed.
Another Attack on Real Madrid
The interview concluded by addressing a sensitive topic: refereeing. Laporta once again spoke of `sociological Madridismo` and directed several jabs at the white club: “A committee has been created to improve the refereeing issue. We were not chosen for that committee, but we imagine that, like Madrid, we will also be invited. And we are working on that – on improving. But our strategy is to complain little. There is a sociological Madridismo, and I didn`t say that gratuitously. And when you play the victim, sometimes you gain from it. VAR creates some distortions that need to be corrected, but I prefer to facilitate the work of the referees instead of the strategy of conditioning them. And despite the institutional discrediting they attempted with the Negreira case, which will amount to nothing from what we see, we want to act this way. And let everyone pursue their own strategy,” declared the 62-year-old from Barcelona.
