Barcelona President Joan Laporta has admitted that his ex-brother-in-law Alejandro Echevarria advises him on club decisions, despite the fact he is not employed by the club or a consultancy agency. Echevarria has been linked to Laporta for some time, but is rarely brought up publicly.
Echevarria remained associated with Laporta even after his first marriage ended in divorce, and has been a constant at his side since. During this mandate it has even been reported that Echevarria has influenced transfers and the appointment of Deco as Sporting Director, who is his business associate.
When Xavi Hernandez described his resignation, he mentioned that he told Echevarria to set up a meeting with Laporta so he could alert him of his decision to resign. During an interview with RAC1, Laporta was asked why exactly Echevarria is so involved in the most crucial parts of the club.
“He has no position and he doesn’t get paid. He does it to help. He has a friendship with many players. I trust him. He is like an advisor that doesn’t earn money, and he gives me advice on matters, above all regarding security. I value his advice and the work he does a lot. He has a good touch with the players, but he is not part of the sports commission, which is made up of Deco, Bojan [Krkic] and [Enric] Masip.”
Laporta: "Xavi deserved the press to help him more."
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) February 2, 2024
It’s not exactly an explanation that allays fears for Barcelona fans. Increasingly Laporta is being accused of cronyism, following the appointment of a number of players he signed in his first spell as president for roles where there are much more experienced options already in place. This week it also emerged that the Barcelona first-team manager would be sacked after 23 years so the board could bring in someone closer to them.
