The president relies on his experience to mitigate the impact caused by the resignation of the club’s general manager
With Ferran Reverter already out of Barça, although he is still in day-to-day management, Joan Laporta he takes refuge even more in his core of trust, convinced as he is that he will find financial and sporting resources to rebuild the club and the team.
The unexpected departure of the general director sends, however, a message of instability at a key moment -promotion of ‘Espai Barça’, the signing of the sponsorship contract with Spotify and the design of the new squad with the search for a major star world, Haland would be perfect – for the present and immediate future of the institution.
But laporta trust in laporta, endorsed by the massive support of the partners that it received not even a year ago. He collected 30,184 votes, 54.28% of the total, above Víctor Font (16,679) and Toni Freixa (4,769), capitalizing on the general malaise at the depressing end of the ‘Bartomeu era’. That is the strength that the leader wields, accustomed to going through extreme situations.
He relies, above all, on his extraordinary knowledge of the football universe. And he also relies on his traditional capacity for resistance to overcome crises of all kinds, as he proved in his first and convulsive term, where he flew over two much more important than the resignation of reverse.
Reverter’s departure opens a new landscape for Laporta in relations with LaLiga, UEFA and Florentino
Then many directors left (five, with sandro rosell to the front, in 2005 and eight, with Ferran Soriano as leader, in 2008), now the top executive, hired just over seven months ago, has abandoned him to clean up the club’s accounts.
faithful board
Unlike his first term, the president has built a directive that is much more faithful to his postulates. There is now no rosellwhere the first great crisis was conceived then, nor a sorianowhose exit after the unsuccessful motion of censure against laporta triggered a schism.
But in that season (2008-09), Barça reached perfection winning the treble, which would later become the sextet, with the team from Guardiola opening the best period in the history of the club.
Hence, the president carefully chose his fellow board members in this second adventure in the box, despite the fact that he left him, and having already won the elections, James Giro, who should be the economic vice president of the club. In the end, and after a desperate search for guarantees to complete the 124.6 million euros, which was reached at dawn, over the time limit, he ended up entering the box Edward Romeuvice president of Audax Renovables, whose president Jose Elijah He became the highest guarantor.
A guarantee that was extended in November until the end of 2021. A guarantee that disappeared in January, so Laporta’s management enters a new phase. Barely a month later and the first movements of this new phase have already been seen with the departure of the CEO. Even if Romeo did appear, yes, at the Forensic presentation with laporta Y James Campaner, the lawyer who supervised the investigation to denounce the mismanagement of Bartomeu, who is leaving executives. But, for the moment, no manager has left the box.
Eduard Romeu, the economic vice president, was at the Forensic presentation together with Laporta, although his future is unknown
Romeu was the last to arrive at the meeting, with no prior connection to the president. And he did want to be part of photography – Reverter was not there – from last week, just now that his future is being debated on the box. Although the economic vice president limited himself to giving voice to the chaotic inheritance received from Bartomeu, keeping the unknown about his future at the club. And, above all, the role that he will now adopt after the departure of Reverter, an executive with whom he had worked very well.
Now, once freed from that heavy economic burden, Reverter’s resignation completed, the president faces a series of momentous decisions. The first is the election of the new general manager, whose profile will further define the course that it will take. A key election that will further strengthen that restricted nucleus of trust that Barça has been leading for almost a year.
With Xavi acquiring more and more power in the sports area, as well as jordi cruyff in the technical secretariat, but always under the control of Mateu Germany, a fundamental person for Laporta. Furthermore, the march of reverse opens another new scenario in strategic matters such as the agreement with CVC, which Barça rejected despite the fact that Javier Thebesthe president of LaLiga (LFP), linked him to the possibility of his continuing Messi, Barça’s position in the conflict of the European Super League, where it still resists in that battle along with Madrid and Juventus, the only three big clubs that endorse that conflict.
And, at the same time, the relationship with Florentino Perez, the white president, of whom Javier Tebas, came to say that he had “kidnapped” Barça. United until now in common projects against UEFA and the League. United in a surprising way, so it remains to be seen if Laporta now recomposes that balance of power with the Madrid club.
Laporta’s circle, one by one
1. Mateu Alemany
The pillar of the sports executive structure. He has reduced the salary mass of the workforce by 159 million euros and is the one who, together with the president, designs, executes and directs the planning of the football area. He appears to be key in the sporting reconstruction of Barça. With a discreet profile, he has a controlled media agenda. He only appears publicly in the presentation of the signings or interviews after the games.
2. Rafa Yuste
President’s childhood friend. He has always accompanied him outside and inside Barça. He entered the club just after the first big crisis that Laporta experienced in 2005 with the departure of Rosell, Bartomeu, Faus, Moix and Monés. He exhausted the five years of that term serving as sports vice president, the same position that he now holds in the second stage. Peaceful and calm. He is the shadow of Laporta.
3. Jordi Finestres
Journalist. He is part of the presidential cabinet. Author of books on the history of Barça such as El caso Di Stéfano, Barça, 110 anys fent historia and El Barça segrestat: Set anys intervingut pel Franquisme (1939-1946). He already accompanied Laporta in the 2015 electoral campaign in which he was defeated by Bartomeu. And he was part of the hard core in 2021, advising the then candidate on communication and strategy.
4. Enric Masip
Former captain of the Barça Handball Dream Team. He acts as a global sports adviser to the president, not just the sport where he was a star. He is impulsive in nature. “Amb 2 collons…”, It is his tweet set as text to the photo taken next to the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid in front of the giant canvas of ‘Want to see you again’, which surprised in the electoral campaign. Always very active on social media.
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5. Tomorrow Giorgadze
ephah of the presidential cabinet. One of Laporta’s most trusted people, to whom she takes her daily agenda in the club, as she did in her private law office. She also attended electoral campaign events. She started working with Laporta during his first term at Barça and has reinstated her in his second She also works at the club Paloma Mikadze, daughter of Manana.