Barcelona and Joan Laporta have come under heavy criticism this summer for their spending, given the remarkable debt they currently have.
Since the start of the summer, Barcelona have raised €667m through the sale of TV rights and stakes in their assets. That might still not be enough to register all of their new signings though.
The narrative of outrage appears to run parallel to a euphoria amongst Barcelona fans. Speaking to the New York Times, Laporta has defended his actions. Yet he did admit he was reluctant to sell part of Barca Studios.
“That was a decision that, honestly, I didn’t want to take.”
However his actions are not a rash product of egomania.
“I am not a player, I take calculated risks. Winning is a requirement, it’s a universal human motivation. During my time we have raised the expectations very high and we had success.”
“And then the fans of Barca around the world, around 400 million fans across the world, need a level of success.”
Diario AS covered the quotes, which prove the just how crucial Laporta believes success is to Barcelona’s chances of returning to former glories. The cost is certainly mounting up but as with most radical decisions, only time will tell if it was worth it.
