Former Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font has demanded that incumbent Joan Laporta bring more transparency to the club, and claims that off the pitch, the club are worse off than when the current board took over.
Font backed Xavi Hernandez as his manager during the elections in 2020 and also had outgoing Sporting Director Jordi Cruyff as part of his project, before they later were signed by Laporta.
He said that he was happy that Xavi had won the league and for the improvement on the pitch, but that that was diluted by the overriding sadness at the state of the club.
Listening to @victor_font about his view of the situation of #FCBarcelona
"I feel at the same time happy, sad, disappointed, very worried" thinking about the club
League win & Xavi success is the good news (Xavi was his proposal as a head coach during elections)
"This club is… pic.twitter.com/2pvkvXJS07
— Guillem Balague (@GuillemBalague) June 15, 2023
Font explained that Messi’s departure, and his failure to return was a ‘problem of leadership’. He also criticised the constant use of names leaked to the press to generate excitement as a smokescreen for the reality.
That sais, Font feels would have been able to both keep Messi, and to sign Erling Haaland, had the correct work been done. Font referenced the deal Inter Miami had done with Messi, involving other sponsors contributing, and said Barcelona could have done something similar.
Regarding sponsorships, he called the agreement with Spotify ‘one of the most important historically’, but that there was no transparency. He also referenced a lack of explanations regarding the Espai Barca project and the commissions paid to agents in relation to signings.
"Barcelona are worse off financially than we were two-and-a-half years ago. We have more debt, less equity and higher operational costs."
2020 Presidential candidate Victor Font called for change at Barcelona, claiming Laporta has not made adjustments since taking power. #Barca pic.twitter.com/LdoDfo8t7H
— Football España (@footballespana_) June 15, 2023
Font told the assembled media that Barcelona were ‘worse off’ financially than before Laporta took over. His key argument was that the club needed to alter structures and statutes in order to increase transparency, something that would help with things like the Negreira case or the Neymar Junior transfer. Font demanded a more professional Barcelona.
Asked if Laporta was doing a worse or better job than his predeccessor Josep Maria Bartomeu, Font conceded that on the pitch, they were doing a better job. However off it, Font said Laporta’s management was ‘equal or worse’ to that of Bartomeu, previously referencing a wage bill of €650m, and operating costs of €1b.
Reptes i oportunitats pel FC Barcelona
10h | 15.06.2023
🔗 https://t.co/O2jPfvrjTw pic.twitter.com/pD2O8w6x1H— Sí al Futur (@sialfutur) June 14, 2023
Another of his key arguments was that Barcelona were constantly losing talented people, referencing the fact that Manchester City’s hierarchy is full of former Barcelona operators. Nevertheless, he also said that it was important that the club stopped depending on individuals, and rather improved the structures internally to make it a functioning unit.
Font lost the election to Laporta as a runner-up in 2020, when the general atmosphere was one of euphoria to see Bartomeu depart the role. His candidacy was regarded as one outside of the traditional areas of Barcelona politics, whereas Laporta comes from many years on the political scene.
