Barcelona president Joan Laporta has defended the club’s financial position, claiming they will be able to sign a manager with a reputation in the summer to replace Xavi Hernandez. After he announced his exit in the summer last weekend, the week has seen numerous candidates linked with the role, but one of the key considerations has been Barcelona’s inability to spend much more of their salary limit as things stand.
Laporta was speaking on RAC1 on Friday morning, and naturally the next manager was one of the number one issues on the table. It was put to him that Barcelona might not able to sign a big-name manager due to their finances.
“If we achieve the budget, in the summer we will be at a 1:1 ratio in the ‘fair play’ (able to spend within budget without restrictions), at which point we will be able to sign a coach of certain notoriety. Deco is working, the coach will have to adapt to the sports idea. The structure of grassroots football is working very well, with Alexanco at the helm. We already have five or six players in first team dynamics, plus those who will arrive. We have a football director, who is Deco, and the coach who will come knows that at Barca we have a genuine way of playing, which is what the players like, what Culers, but obviously the coach has to have his personality.”
“If we don’t make the fair play, then maybe we will have to come up with a more imaginative solution. (What does that mean?) That’s a question for Deco, who is already working on it.”
After reports that Barcelona had contacted former Germany and Bayern Munich Hansi Flick, Laporta denied that he personally had not spoken with anyone, but couldn’t do the same for Deco.
“I have not spoken with any coach, this job is Deco’s, and it’s a question for him. The options are narrowed down, but this question must be asked of Deco. Marquez is not ruled out because he is doing a very good job.”
