Victor Font on Joan Laporta: “To build the future of the club we can’t go back to 2003”

Barcelona news has been dominated by the forthcoming presidential race scheduled to culminate on January 24th, with the two frontrunners being Joan Laporta and Victor Font.

Laporta previously served as president between 2003 and 2010, building one of the most formidable teams in footballing history alongside Pep Guardiola and overseeing a golden era in Barcelona‘s history.

His vision for the 2021 race is to restore Barcelona’s essential values to the club and take them back to where they belong. Throughout his campaign he’s spoken of the need to confront Real Madrid toe-to-toe, pointed to his track record and underlined his close relationship with the wantaway Lionel Messi.

Font, on the other hand, has painted a different picture. He’s been preparing this presidential run for years, with the idea being to bring clean hands into the club, modernise it and look forward to the future.

Of key importance for him is his close relationship with Xavi Hernandez, the legendary Barcelona midfielder who he says will be his coach if he’s elected.

The stage has been set for a fascinating battle, with Font recently describing Laporta’s campaign as little more than a nostalgia trip without the circumstances that made him a success in his previous term.

“We are talking about a former president known to the whole world, and the memories of his mandate evoke good moments,” Font told Diario Sport.

“Therefore, it’s normal for him to be favourite. But we’re talking about a poll on December 19th, practically the starting point. Now what you have to confront is nostalgia for the future. We all like to remember the good times – the 6-2, the manita – but to build the future of the club we can’t go back to 2003, where there was a whole team that’s no longer there.

“From Johan Cruyff serving as the de facto Vice President to Ferran Soriano revolutionising the office to [Sandro] Rosell working on the signing of Ronaldinho, all of this doesn’t exist today. Only with new ideas and a new leadership will we face the challenges of the future.”

Tags Barcelona Joan Laporta Victor Font
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