Bartomeu-Laporta conflict: let's set the record straight

Joan Laporta has called a press conference for midday today to present the first results of the 'due diligence' that analyses the economic, financial, patrimonial and employment situation of FC Barcelona. And he is doing so today as an immediate response to the extensive letter that Josep Maria Bartomeu sent him on Friday, in which he accused him of "inaction" during his five months as president and also of having made "mistaken and manipulated" statements, as well as demanding to know the content of the report. Club sources say that Laporta's anger was such that he immediately ordered the CEO to prepare an exhaustive summary of the 'due diligence' analysis. Ferran Reverter has been working on this since early Saturday morning.

Thinking solely about the general interest of FC Barcelona, I must say that it is a shame that the club, once more, has to witness a public confrontation between two presidents, both of whom are entitled to defend their management of the club. We still haven't learned anything from what happened in the past. So why are we doing this now?

Bartomeu reacted with indignation when he heard the content of Laporta's latest press conference, where he said that the gigantic debt of more than 450 million euros was the fault of his predecessor, and that this, together with the unsustainable wage bill, made it impossible to register Leo Messi with LaLiga. Bartomeu felt it was very unfair that Laporta did not utter the word "pandemic" during his address. 

I think that, either by mistake, omission or by his own will, Laporta failed to mention that the losses of the 2020-21 season were largely the fault of the pandemic, not of the previous board, who resigned at the end of October. A year in which the Camp Nou has been closed, with no fans, no ticket sales, no shirt sales, no Museum visits, caused this gigantic hole in the club's revenue. Nobody is to blame for this economic catastrophe, nobody.

All of this, of course, was known to Laporta and the other two candidates for the presidency, Font and Freixa. Firstly, because the 2019-20 accounts and the 2020-21 budget are posted on the club's website. Secondly because in January the club's interim president, Carles Tusquets, gave the three candidates an exhaustive economic report that reflected the reality of the club.

I don't know what will come from Laporta's address today, but I imagine he will launch a counter-attack by revealing details from the 'due diligence' analysis to put Bartomeu in the red. Sandro Rosell's board already did that in 2010, when even the expenses of Laporta's bodyguard were leaked. All of this, whether more or less money has been spent on reports or superfluous things, ultimately leads to nothing. The only thing that matters here is if someone has had their hand in the till, if there have been punishable offences, such as corruption between private individuals, and if there have been, they must be reported to the Mossos. 

There will not be another 'Action of Responsibility'. Firstly, because Bartomeu's management, which began in 2010 with Rosell as president, has yielded nearly 200 million in profits overall, and because the last Members' Meeting approved the 2019-20 accounts. And for the 2020-21 season, confirm that, despite what they may say, the only people responsible are Laporta and his board. This is what the Law on Sports Entities and the club statutes say. 

Between the attempted censure motion and the pandemic, Bartomeu left the club in October. If we had not held early elections, we would not be where we are right now.

A piece of advice to the former and current presidents: forget about the past, join forces, pull in the same direction, be honest in your behaviour and think only about what is best for FC Barcelona. It is time to look to the future.