Joan Laporta goes on the offensive: "We're not fooled by this accusation."

BarcelonaOne day you're making macaroni, the next you're presenting a book. The life of the Barça presidential candidate resembles a giant obstacle course, in which Joan Laporta seems to be enjoying himself. Neither the money laundering allegation nor the presidential candidate's claim affects him.That's normal, because his team had known for days what was going to happen and had a strategy prepared: the club would issue a statement denying everything, and Laporta would go on the attack, deploying all his charm as a great seducer.

Night was falling in the center of Barcelona, ​​and many tourists were looking towards the Ateneu Barcelonès building, aware that something had to be happening if there were so many press. Laporta was presenting his book. This is how we saved BarçaPublished by Ara Llibres and produced by the president with the help of writer Josep Maria Fonalleras, the book tells the story of Laporta's struggles. "We both cried while writing it. We suffered so much to save Barça. And we wanted to tell the story without sounding arrogant, but... it's true that we saved Barça," Laporta explained. The cover photo, carefully chosen, shows Laporta wearing a yellow work vest over his tie in the VIP box of the new stadium. It's a reflection of Jan's two sides, because to preside over Barça, you have to know your way around Pedralbes and El Raval. Laporta was making macaroni on Sunday night at a trendy restaurant on Travessera de Gràcia, and 24 hours later he was at the book launch in the Bohigas auditorium of the Ateneu Barcelonès. To reach the hall, you pass by the lists of historical boards of the Ateneo, where you can read names like Guimerà, Carner, or Domènech i Montaner. On Monday night, the list of names present in the hall was different: Hansi Flick, Deco, or Bojan Krkic. And behind them, Enric Masip, Asensi, Alejandro Echevarría, Audie Norris, Eduard Romeu, Laporta's brothers, David Carabén, or Jaume Roures... Laporta's entire inner circle, there to support him on the very day of the lawsuit. When he appeared on stage, ten minutes late, the first ovation: he was playing on home turf. The staging was well-rehearsed. A show of force was needed on a day like this.

Joan Laporta is the great seducer. And in this campaign, he has to deploy all his charm amidst attacks, rumors, a lawsuit, and "slander," as he calls it. "Today I'm presenting a book about how we saved Barça... and perhaps I've left out a chapter about who we saved Barça from," he blurted out. And a second ovation of the afternoon. The book took a backseat after what had happened that morning. "We saved Barça from people of little stature. Selfish people. They're the same ones who, when we tried to register Dani Olmo in Saudi Arabia a year ago, called the league to stop us. They did it because they had a vote of no confidence prepared. We're not naive; there are specific interests behind this." The campaign has only just begun, and the exchange of blows is already fierce. Laporta's strategy is clear: that the accusation, instead of damaging him, will help him win votes, by explaining the narrative that instead of attacking him, they are attacking the club. His rivals must prove the opposite. And they must contend with a heavyweight of oratory like Laporta.

Flick takes sides

At the Ateneo, the president was deploying his arsenal of tricks. And, aware that everyone was talking about Flick's presence in the room, he took advantage of it. "Hansi told me he's excited to be the coach of this new stadium that will have more than 100,000 spectators. A stadium that, if it were mine, would already be fully open so we could help... with the comeback we'll make against Atlético de Madrid!" And the third ovation of the day.

Laporta mixed humor and emotion, crying and becoming emotional as he remembered his family. And every now and then he would mention the name of the German coach, who, a few meters away, was trying to understand what they were saying about him. "His eyes remind me of Johan's. And his face... reminds me of..." Gladiatorthe actor. I tell him Gladiator"Hansi, don't worry, I'm speaking highly of you," he added. And a fourth ovation for Laporta, who is as quick to attack as he is to use humor: "Hansi has to give me a bicycle... because I'm fat, and they tell me that to run a good campaign you have to be thinner!" And Flick smiled. The German president had made his move.

But the great charmer didn't forget that, incidentally, books had to be sold. "You have to make painful decisions, and that happened to me with Messi. Careers end, and the most painful moment is when you have to tell him. I cried when I told Ronaldinho in person that it was all over. And with Messi, the finances didn't allow me to continue, as I explain in the book. Buy it," he joked. A book with sixteen pages of acknowledgments, in which he mentions brothers, family members, friends, directors, Flick, Deco, and also names that opponents use to attack him, such as Darren Dein or Alejandro Echevarría. How many stories are hidden behind these sixteen pages of acknowledgments from the great charmer. The man who has already been through the motions. The campaign will be short but intense.