Víctor Font: "Laporta has reason to be nervous"

BarcelonaFive years after the elections that put him on the map, Víctor Font still wants to be president of Barça. Running under the "Nosotros" (We) banner, the candidate claims to have created a broad-based list that brings together all the different factions within the Barça fanbase. After the signature count – in which Marc Ciria and Xavier Vilajoana were excluded – Font now has the head-to-head debate against Joan Laporta that he has so often requested.

The plebiscite that he so desperately wanted is finally a reality.

— I'm very happy, especially for Barça. The club needs its members to choose what model they want: the Barça of the past or the Barça of the future. A modern, professional Barça that knows how to unlock the full potential of the institution. There's a majority of the members who want a proactive, inspiring Barça, one that doesn't divide fans into "good" and "bad," but rather a Barça for everyone. We have an exciting project.

We've passed the signature threshold, but several Barça fans submitted proposals and were left out of the process. Is there room in your candidacy for, for example, Marc Ciria or Xavier Vilajoana?

— This is not a personal candidacy. It's a meeting point for all those Barcelona fans who believe a different Barça is necessary. Our aim is to continue bringing together all those proposals that complement those already in place. There's room for all Barça fans who think this way and who can undoubtedly contribute to the existing talent. There's room for everyone.

In recent weeks there have been negotiations with the other candidates. Do you feel you have been generous in these conversations?

— Absolute generosity. We have always put the club's interests above our own. This is all about the project. How do we make Barça generate €1.65 billion in revenue? The club hasn't been able to turn a profit since Rosell's time. We'll only achieve that if we have the best players. If we combine our efforts. And by bringing back to the club the legends who have drifted away.

He's been complaining for some time that Barça is not very transparent when negotiating sponsorships, strategic agreements, and even leverage. What makes him suspicious?

— We believe that associating ourselves with people like Andrew Tate or the Democratic Republic of Congo instead of UNICEF or UNHCR is very damaging to the institution's prestige. Announcing New Era Visionary Group as a world leader in connectivity services, only for it to turn out to be a startup with no prior experience in the sector, discredits Barça. It raises suspicions. We will push for a statutory reform that obliges whoever governs, regardless of who it is, to be transparent.

How can this be done? Is it realistic in a world full of agents like football?

— The transparency portal will serve to explain transactions. It will detail what money has been involved, what has been paid by whom, and whether or not there are commissions. Some clubs already do this. Porto is an example. When they carried out the transfer of former Barcelona player Nico González, they explained in detail all the money received, who had participated, and how. This is what we must do. It's normal to have some confidentiality clauses, but these cannot become the norm. The club cannot hide everything it does behind these clauses.

Are you in favor of paying board members a salary to clear up suspicions of possible illicit commission payments?

— Do you think a salary would put an end to the suspicions? Suspicions end with transparency, with honesty. We want a Barça that is consistent with its founding values, one that doesn't erase Josep Suñol's name from the club's history.

In recent years, Barça has partnered with companies from the Middle East. If you were president, what kind of relationship do you think the club should have with these countries?

— The relationship we have with any other potential partner in the world is the same. As long as it's with institutions and individuals of proven prestige, and everything can be explained transparently, there's no problem. The problem is the lack of transparency. Partnering with companies of poor reputation: Vestigia, Libero, New Era... This is incomprehensible. Barça should partner with companies like Spotify, Netflix, Disney, or Nike, not with unknown companies that raise suspicions.

Throughout the campaign, he has been very critical of "the club of friends, family, and acquaintances." If he wins the election, does he plan to further tighten Barça's code of ethics?

— Yes. The code of ethics should never have been changed. The fact that this board's first action was to change it to allow direct entry for family members is not good for the institution.

So, are you ruling out hiring any of your brothers?

— Without a doubt. We don't preach things from the outside that we can't be consistent with. That's why the statutory reform is so important. Over the years, many candidates have promised many things, and once they win, they do the opposite. We pledge that if this statutory reform isn't a reality by the end of our term, we will resign, go home, and call for elections.

In recent weeks, Joan Laporta has hinted on several occasions that you might be behind a complaint filed by a party member in the National Court. Do you have any connection to the lawsuit?

— No. That's why it's important to move on from this way of doing things. This whole thing about good guys and bad guys; both sides. I'm very pleased that the National Court didn't accept the lawsuit. I would ask the member who filed the complaint to help prevent Barça from being dragged into the courts again.

It has also been said that a member of his candidacy is holding up the 1c permit for the reopening of Camp Nou.

— This is outright defamation. And it's very sad because it's a serious matter: if this were true, it would even constitute the crime of malfeasance. Ricard Font is responsible for public works in Barcelona. Camp Nou is not a public works project. When someone doesn't have the truth about their own group, if they defame others, perhaps they think they have a better chance of getting away with it.

Members of Laporta's candidacy, such as Ferran Olivé, have also suggested that you called the League to ask that Dani Olmo not be registered.

— Do you think the League answers the phone to just any member who calls? It's unbelievable. Olivé also said that Limak had been selected by Goldman Sachs, and then it turned out that, in an interview, the Goldman representative explained that they were surprised by the choice. There's a lack of truth and things are being twisted.

Mr. Laporta describes him as a danger to the club.

— The real danger lies in their methods. The danger is partnering with Andrew Tate. The danger is selecting a company to carry out the most important construction project in the club's history after experts assessed it as the worst possible option. The fact that the club has generated €1 billion in operating losses over five years and has had to cover this up by selling off assets also puts the institution at risk.

Over the past few weeks, they've announced social measures that would reduce revenue, such as lowering season ticket prices for their most loyal members. How can they forgo income while simultaneously announcing major investments like the Palau Blaugrana? Where will they cut back?

— Rather than cutting, we will implement spending controls. It's not about drastically reducing costs, but rather controlling them and preventing them from spiraling out of control. The problem we had during Bartomeu's era, and which has been repeated in recent years, is that expenses have grown at the same rate as, or even faster than, revenue. This has resulted in us not generating profits for over nine years, or even a decade, meaning we haven't earned more than we spend. Our economic plan anticipates reaching €1.65 billion in revenue and €340 million in profit in the final year of our term. To achieve this, we will strengthen our audiovisual and digital businesses, which are currently generating no revenue. We will also boost our merchandising efforts. Barça is fortunate to have hundreds of employees who love the club. But that has nothing to do with the fact that there are people in top positions whom you don't understand.

Like now?

— That Joan Sentelles is in charge of Espai Barça, when the last relevant work experience listed on his CV is sinking a historic club like Reus, is difficult to explain. I was also reading the other day that the former institutional vice president Elena Fort said that for the functioning of the club, Alejandro Echevarría, a person who has not been elected by the members and who does not hold any executive position, is essential.

Despite reiterating your confidence in Hansi Flick, you have been critical of the current sporting management.

— I haven't been critical. I believe Barça needs the people in the most important positions to be the best possible professionals, not the president's cronies or his former brother-in-law. I think we must be able to create a structure that, regardless of who's in charge, works for the club. People from within the club, Catalan people, Barça people.

Will he speak with Messi in the coming days?

— No. We'll talk to him after we win the election. We've worked two years to create a A fantastic project for Barça that allows us to reconnect with the best of its history.

So, you don't expect any gesture from him before the elections?

— No. Leo, like any other asset, should be kept out of the campaign. He's already spoken. The Barça of the few excludes Messi; the Barça of everyone includes him.

If Joan Laporta wins the elections next Sunday, what will Víctor Font do?

— We'll win [laughs]. I haven't thought about it.

What is the best thing Laporta has done?

— The signing of Hansi Flick and the partnership with Spotify.

And what's the worst thing he's done?

— Not telling the truth. It is important that from now on, not telling the truth is not an option, but rather an obligation of transparency.

Does he look nervous?

— He has reasons to be.