Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, launched a campaign against Josep Maria Bartomeu, the former president of the Blaugrana, at a recent press conference.
Laporta said at the press conference: “When we arrived we had to borrow a loan from Goldman in the amount of 80 million euros, without which we would not have paid our salaries, we also found the TV rights, 50 percent previously collected, in addition, the Camp Nou needed repairs. necessary. Otherwise, we will not get the masses back.”
He added: “We also found an inverted pyramid in player contracts, adults have long contracts and young people have short contracts, and it was difficult to negotiate many contracts, in addition to the amazing numbers paid to agents and scouts, for example there is a scout in South America receiving 8 million euros. . To discover talent.
On Bartomeu’s letter, Laporta said: “I received this letter from Bartomeu and made it public, and I respect it, but it is full of lies.”
He continued: “The impact of Corona on the club was 91 million euros, and we have a salary bill that represents 103% of the club’s income, that is, 20% to 25% more than the competitors, and the total debt is up to one billion. and 350 million euros. The financial situation is very disastrous.”
He continued: “Bartomeu talked about his reduction of 90 million euros in the players’ salaries, and the fact that none of the players wanted to talk to him at all, we do not share his responsibility for his mandate, and no one will. He fled.” Your responsibility. ”
And about the famous Neymar case since 2013, when the manipulation of the value of the deal appeared and Barcelona was fined during the period of Sandro Russia, the former Barcelona president, who resigned and Bartomeu was his replacement and who completed his term. He then won the following election in 2015, to develop further legal problems with the Brazilian and due to him even after his run to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017.
Laporta commented on the case, saying: “Bartomeu says we gave 16 million euros to Neymar and this is another lie. The reputation of the club has been damaged by this agreement.”
And he continued: “Russia has imposed a fine of 5.5 million euros on Barcelona in this case, and it seems that they should be reminded of this. There were 4 open cases because of Neymar, and the settlement was the best option to avoid more risks.”
He continued, “The vision of Bartomeu’s management was short-term. They received 222 million euros to sell Neymar and spent it at the speed of light and in the wrong way.”
The Barcelona president revealed new scenarios for the economic crisis the club is going through, which caused the Argentine Lionel Messi to leave the team, explaining that this is due to poor planning by the previous administration, as he described it.
The current president of Bassa said: “The Beja League sent two warnings to the club in 2019 about the increase in salaries, so what did they do? They increased the salaries, the Johan Cruyff stadium should have cost 4 million euros, so it ended up costing 20 million euros.”
He explained: “Bartomeu led the club to ruin, and it is premature to talk about the possibility of holding the previous administration responsible from a legal point of view, but it is true that they are responsible for this chaos.”
And Bartomeu had sent letters to Laporta, in which he indicated that the current president did not renew the contract of the Argentine, Lionel Messi, the star of the team, and asked him to announce the results of the financial audit to the public as soon as possible, in order to avoid. circulating rumours.