Deco to appeal dismissed Font defamation suit following unsuccessful mediation

Barcelona sporting director Deco has filed another lawsuit to protect his reputation over comments made by former Barcelona presidential candidate Víctor Font.

In February, former Barcelona presidential candidate Font criticized the club's lack of transparency in signing Vitor Roque in an interview with Rac 1 radio: "We originally had Marc Guiu, but we didn't follow the principle of 'fair play' and instead signed Vitor Roque. If he were truly the next Ronaldinho, prioritizing talent would be understandable, but clearly he doesn't possess the qualities to play for Barcelona. Moreover, Deco had recommended him to the club before becoming sporting director. Cruyff and Alemanni also stated that Roque wasn't a priority target, and this operation violated the principle of 'fair play,' yet Deco's first action upon taking office was to sign him."

According to Culemanía, the 27th Court of First Instance in Barcelona dismissed Deco's lawsuit. Deco, through his lawyer Josep Riva, has appealed and submitted a written application to advance the proceedings and reactivate the case.

In June, the two sides held a mediation meeting, but failed to reach an agreement. Font subsequently issued a statement reiterating his remarks made on Rac 1 radio: "Obviously I have nothing to correct, and this mediation is therefore pointless. However, I am happy to participate whenever the club or its representatives wish to convene me to discuss the issues. It would be more appropriate to focus our energy on explaining potentially controversial actions to the club's true owners—we, the members—rather than trying to intimidate those demanding explanations."

Culemanía points out that the judge presiding over the case had stated it was an "internal club matter," but Deco clearly disagreed, as evidenced by this appeal.