Opposition at Barcelona unites against Joan Laporta – ‘Same habits as Bartomeu’

Various opposition groups have united to send a message to Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who is accumulating rivals. With elections a maximum of two years out, several groups are already jostling for position against the charismatic president.

The message, undersigned by Compromissaris FCB, Dignitat Blaugrana, El Senyor Ramon, Seguiment FCB, Si al Futur, Som un clam, Suma Barca, Transparencia and Un Crit Valent, demanded that the club reform the club accounts they have presented to members. They want the accounts to reflect the losses made, rather than separating out the Barca Vision operation, before the members are asked to pass them in a vote.

They say the numbers given to the members do not reflect the reality of the situation, which is €91m in losses, and that if the club do not reform their accounts, that the delegates vote against passing the accounts. The group Un Crit Valent were key in inspiring the vote of no confidence in former President Josep Maria Bartomeu, while Si al Futur were one of Laporta’s rivals in the last election, and Som un Clam are shaping up to be another in the next elections.

Victor Font, who headed the Si al Futur group gave a press conference on Tuesday negatively evaluating Laporta’s tenure, asking delegates to vote down the accounts.

“Laporta has the same tics as Bartomeu. Inability to manage and a false story. They directly deceive us. In the last four years we have spent €1.041b more than we have earned. With the aggravating factor that there is an absolutely fictitious operation such as the value of Barca Studios. A real con that not even the auditor believes is worth €401m,” Font said, as quoted by Diario AS.

Meanwhile prominent Catalan economist Marc Ciria i Roig also gave a press conference pointing to incompetence on Tuesday, while Som un Clam plan to have a presentation on Thursday explaining their organisation. They are headed by Joan Camprubi, the grandson of former Barcelona President Agusti Montal, who reinstalled Catalan as the language of the club during Francisco Franco’s regime, and coined the phrase ‘Mes que un club’.

Former President of the Catalan Football Federation Jordi Roche is also part of the Som un clam group, and was invited to be on Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu’s board, but declined on both occasions, while Jordi Termes, the businessman behind the Bizum payment application, has also joined their campaign.

Laporta has sold a generally impressive narrative to the media of having saved Barcelona from financial disaster. His mandate has faced almost constant criticism over the last 18 months though, after an initial grace period after taking over from Bartomeu.