On March 9th, Laporta and Font had their debate for running Barca's president. Several topics are covered: Messi's leaving, the club's economic recovery, the transfers, etc. This is the second part of the debate.
On the club's sporting managment:
Font: "We have had the honour of bringing together Planchart, Puig and Cos, people who have worked with Guardiola, Rijkaard, Luis Enrique. The possibility of having this experience instead of having it blurred, will give Flick a structure that he does not have now. Barça have missed having a professional structure during these years, also in the sections. With a new Palau that we have worked on. Now they present us with a Palau that could not play in the NBA. There would be a director for each section. This coming week we will present the names."
Laporta: "What he's saying is complicating what is there. He has not said who will be the coach of basketball, handball, futsal... This is signing up for the bandwagon. The structure is the same, with a director who is O'Callaghan. In the football project... to say that these three people know more than Deco is an insult. Deco is the best sporting director in history along with Txiki. You put Flick at risk without Deco and you would destroy a project that is exciting. You say you'll stick with them, but you put them at risk. With sections, you don't say any names. Where is this superstructure? It is a fallacy. With you we will return to ruin. You demagogy with lies. Barça fans don't deserve what you say."
Font:""We have a top-level squad, which can compete for everything. Now we have a fairly benevolent draw in the Champions League. Surely those who know see that there are positions to be strengthened. This has to be said by the sporting management. They will explain it.""
Laporta:""Deco wants us to continue. People are happy, with players from home and others who have come from abroad and it works. The way he is managing the sport makes us happy"."
Font:"We replace a person with a trident. The technical direction is Carles Planchart. What the former president of Flick says is to try what they did with Messi's renewal. Now there is a history of broken promises. Flick is a Barça employee and this is above a president."
On squad and transfers:
Laporta:"The operation is as I said. Deco has renewed all the young players in the squad, plus De Jong and Raphinha. Deco's economic result is positive and the performance of the squad is excellent"
Font: "Deco, being an agent, introduced Alemany and Cruyff and offered Vitor Roque. They said there was no fair play. That sporting management left and the first thing they did was sign that player for 30 million. If you look at the audited accounts, they put the losses from player sales and there comes Vitor Roque, with 30 million in losses".
Laporta: "The first signing Deco made was to recommend Raphinha. Another lie you tell. Vitor Roque cost 30 million and we sold him for 25.5 and we have kept variables and 20% of a future sale. Don't lie. You said that we would be SA and now with Tigrinho."
On what will do if Flick leaves:
Font:"Doing politics-fiction can be done. Flick is delighted here and has a contract. He is a great professional. With a structure that gives him what he asks for (stability, signing players) we are working. We are having meetings with players to improve to have the job done and to be able to offer it to Flick. The sporting management is planning for the medium and long term. If we plan, we will do things better."
Laporta:"He(Flick) has said that he is comfortable with Deco and if they remove him he will not be. You have to be comfortable and it's not easy. You have to have positive discussions between coach and sporting director. This enriches the sports project. This is not the case with Font's sports project".
On Club's economy:
Font: "The inability to manage the club's economic potential is obvious. There are businesses that we have sold half that had zero turnover and continue to invoice zero. We have a plan designed by experts, which is what the Barça of personalism does not know how to do. I am talking about the first executive level. We have a plan to invoice 1,650 million and generate profits for the first time. This board has generated 1,000 million in losses and we have sold assets to companies of dubious reputation. We have joined the Congo and we have taken the easy money. They have removed Suñol's name from the box".
Laporta: "This must be the moment that the computer says that Laporta will jump. These insinuations are in bad faith. If you think I live from Barça... I don't make insinuations. I am the president of all Barça, who have been sensitive".
Font: "The club's monopoly is not in the heart of the former president. In my case, in my heart and in my head. I won't carry Barça in my pocket. I will not live from Barça.
Laporta:""We had a ruined club and we are in the process of recovering the economy. We have a record of sponsorships and the club that sells the most in merchandising. 1,000 million in turnover and solvency ratios that give us credibility. We are on the podium of the club with the most income. We have the best rated squad in the world. We have increased the value of the workforce by 38% and we have renewed it. LaLiga, which is not suspect, says that Barça are much better. UEFA and Xavier Sala i Martín say so. Also Oriol Amat, who will be the president of the economic commission. We find ourselves in a legacy of economic ruin. The 1,650 million will be done with the contracts that we have signed. We have returned to the field and we are happy."