Former Barcelona President Joan Gaspart says he is convinced Real Madrid supremo Florentino Perez will not quit the club.
Chants for the 69-year-old to resign rang out around the Santiago Bernabeu during the recent defeat to cross-city rivals Atletico Madrid, but Gaspart says he Perez is not ready to throw in the towel just yet.
“I don’t have any sympathy for him in a sporting sense because of what he did to me and Barca with Luis Figo, but he is a very smart and talented guy,” Gaspart told Onda Cero’s Ona Esportiva programme.
“He’s a good person and I don’t think he’ll throw in the towel any time soon. Madrid still have the Champions League and La Liga to play for, although they are a long way behind in the League, but it’s not impossible.
“With his system things went well for a few years and Florentino won a few League titles, the Champions League and Copa del Reys, some of them against Barca.”
Gaspart was also invited to comment on suggestions that Barcelona’s new remodelled Camp Nou stadium could be named after Lionel Messi.
“With all due respect to Messi I wouldn’t change the name to his,” he maintained. “The Camp Nou is a well-established name and Leo will be an important part of Barca’s history, but the club has much more history than Messi.
“Names come and go and what if somebody else comes along who is better? Do we change it again and constantly do that with a player who has the most fame or has won more titles?
“The ground is for the fans, not for me or Lionel Messi,” added Gaspart.
