Joan Collet: "Espanyol will never die and will have more Catalan presidents."

BarcelonaOne of the last portraits hanging in the President's Room at the RCDE Stadium is that of Joan Collet i Diví (Argentona, 1961), the last Catalan president in the history of Espanyol (2012-16) and, above all, a true Espanyol fan. A member for almost 50 years, in the 1970s he was a regular at the south goal at Sarrià and had to run in front of the Boixos Nois when the ultras emerged in Barcelona; two decades later, from Sánchez Llibre's social area, he fought them. A key player in the reformulation of the distribution of television rights in Spain, he always demanded Espanyol as a Catalan teamIn 2016 he left the entity, when Chen Yansheng bought itIn a conversation with ARA, he explains that he now enjoys matches like a regular fan and celebrates the club of his life reaching 125 years of age in such good health.

Why is he from Espanyol?

— Because of my father. I started going to Sarrià when I was 10. When I was 15, I saw flags on the south goal and headed there. It was the first youth movement at Espanyol, that of the Manigua Club.

Eggs were thrown at each other in derbies with Barça players.

— Yes. They also put the Barça fans, who came with the banner of the Great Tarragona Barça Supporters' Club, in the south goal. There wasn't any violence, but egg fights were common. My father had yelled at me to leave the house with a hidden box of eggs.

Boixos Chicos and Brigadas Blanquiazules didn't exist yet, right?

— No, they appear later. I remember that around '83 or '84, when we were returning with La Manigua from Camp Nou to Sarrià, we had to run because the Boixos Nois were chasing us. I ran to Collserola (laughs). It was the time when Boixos and Brigades were born... that's when the violence started.

From the social area it was his turn to combat it.

— We arrived at Montjuïc with 500 brigades in the stands. He helped a lot with the creation of La Curva Jove, with Nacho Julià, because there were people who didn't share his ideology but wanted to cheer. And little by little, the ultras and skinheads became a minority. I don't think it's been recognized enough. Some people practically get the Nobel Peace Prize for putting an end to the Boixos, and for us, who did a lot of work behind the scenes, no one has recognized it.

Have you always gone with Sánchez Llibre?

— Yes. We're from Maresme, we met through work and became close friends. I joined the club when he became president, in 1997. For me, he's the best president in Espanyol's history.

How do you survive 125 years with a giant like Barça at your side?

— With resilience and loyalty. Espanyol is passed down from parents to children and from grandparents to grandchildren. Otherwise, it would be very difficult to survive, because we don't win titles. We all grew up in a minority; at school, at work, or in the village, always claiming to be Espanyol fans. But we must also engage in historical self-criticism: two clubs born in Barcelona at the same time can't be so far apart.

Regarding Joan García, he said he felt betrayed because he had gone with the "monster."

— Yes, but it's not news. A Betis fan doesn't want their star player to go to Sevilla. The same with Barça and Madrid, and so many others. It's a shame that our best player, who grew up in youth football and has kissed the club's crest, is going to Barça. We have the right to be angry, but it must be respected.

During your time at the club, did you ever worry about Espanyol's survival?

— Never. This is a false narrative. It was said that Mr. Chen had saved us from disappearing or relegated to the Second Division B, but it's a lie. He saved us from going into bankruptcy, like many other clubs. Or not, because in 2016 we went from receiving 22 million to 50 million for television rights, after years of a fight led by Espanyol. But we were no longer there. This doesn't mean we shouldn't be grateful for putting his money where his mouth was in a difficult time. The same goes for Coro's goal; we wouldn't have disappeared if he hadn't done it.

Before Chen and now Pace. What do you think about the club being run by outsiders?

— This happens in many clubs. We must try to manage things well and, above all, ensure that wherever you're from, you identify with the region. They must be clear about this: where the club is from, its language, and its idiosyncrasies. And I see that Alan Pace, in social and street terms, has done more in three months than had been done in ten years.

Have you spoken to him?

— We've greeted each other a couple of times when we've met. Nothing more.

You too are to step on the street.

— (Laughs) I like to go to the field three or four hours before games with my son; to eat, have a drink, greet friends... It's the most beautiful part of football. Also, when I go to watch Argentona, the hometown team, I stand behind the goal.

And defending his own. What happened the other day with some Betis fans?

— There were Espanyol fans who were outraged at some Betis fans because they'd been disrespectful. We argued a bit, another one came out, making horns at people, we told them off... and there were a few pushes. No slaps or anything.

Is this the last Catalan president of Espanyol? Will there be more?

— Of course! Espanyol has many years of life left; it will never die. It's clear it will have more Catalan presidents.