Toni Freixa: "Laporta has undoubtedly been a better president than Rosell and Bartomeu."

BarcelonaLawyer Toni Freixa (Barcelona, 1968) is one of those figures who has been part of the Barça entourage for almost a quarter of a century. He held legal responsibilities during Joan Laporta's first term, was a director and board spokesperson for Sandro Rosell, and, when the latter resigned, continued with Josep Maria Bartomeu. He has closely known the last three presidents and has run in the last two Barça elections. In 2015, he didn't even get 2,000 votes, and in 2021, he had fewer than 5,000.

How do you explain the radical transformation at Barça this past year? Was it because of Hansi Flick?

— I don't want to single out Hansi Flick, but his arrival has been very important, especially because he's found a team of young people who are eager and talented.

Who has been the best player in this last League?

— For me, probably Pedri. And I'm struggling to name just one. Lamine Yamal; Pau Cubarsí, who is extraordinary to me; the emergence of Marc Casadó; Raphinha, who has improved in ways we couldn't have imagined; Lewandowski, who continues to score goals; Kounde; Íñigo Martínez... But for me, the one who most embodies our way of understanding football, and the fact that he participates in every aspect of the game, both offensive and defensive, is Pedri.

Lately, I've had the feeling that you've stopped arguing with the people here and have started arguing with the media that represents the sociological Madrid scene. What happened?

— I've always fought. It's a personal trait; not fighting, but speaking out. It's brought me problems but also satisfaction. Possibly, when I've had more of a presidential candidate profile than a partner, I've sought out internal debate more than I'm doing now. Since I've overcome that phase, I continue to fight with the inner circle, which is what I've always done.

Joan Laporta, in an interview on Catalunya Ràdio, spoke for the first time about the sociological nature of Real Madrid. What's the latest definition you can think of to explain this concept to someone?

— It's a Madridism that ends up being sociological, but that begins as institutional, that has connotations in all areas of life in a country called Spain and that has its center of power in Madrid. People ask me: Do you think referees are directed? No, it's simply that it's very difficult to do anything different from what you're expected to do. Everyone is on the same path, and within that context, Barça is the rebel club that, with talent, is capable of swatting them away. That's why our satisfaction is no longer winning, but how we win and against whom.

I thought you and Laporta were enemies, and this past year, when there's been a lot of criticism of his administration and many announcements of no-confidence motions, I've seen you defending him. What's happened here?

— First, we're not enemies. I joined the club through Joan Laporta, because I'm in the office of his brother-in-law, Alejandro Echevarría, and there's a relationship and trust. This relationship broke down in 2005, and it's true that for a few years we were very distant, even with some rather unpleasant episodes. And since 2015, the year of the elections won by Josep Maria Bartomeu, when we were both candidates, the relationship has been cordial, and I think we're on good terms.

When was the last time you saw each other face to face?

— I saw him at the Godó, but we didn't meet up, nor are we going to dinner. These days, you can easily stay in touch.

Has he thanked you for supporting him?

— There's no need. He's a person who knows how to recognize things. In the end, what we have in common is our Barcelona support, and I think it's good that as many Culés as possible support the club.

Now that the statute of limitations has expired, after 15 years. What happened in the Plaza Francesc Macià during that confrontation between Toni Freixa and Joan Laporta?

— The statute of limitations has expired. It's a chance moment in Barcelona life when you bump into someone who was being interviewed. He was taking up a lot of space on the sidewalk, and I had to squeeze between him and the store window. At that moment, there was a collision.

What crash?

— Many people have said it was me. I must say we were at the complicated stage of the liability action [that Sandro Rosell's board, for which Freixa was the spokesperson, filed against Laporta's management], and that, over time, has proven to have been a huge mistake. Things you do when you're very young and don't have much experience. I suppose he was affected by the situation and had an inappropriate reaction. In fact, he turned around and said, "Sorry, kid, we collided," as if he didn't know who I was. I think this phrase gives him away quite a bit. But, as you say, the statute of limitations has expired.

You've worked with the last three Barça presidents: Joan Laporta, Sandro Rosell, and Josep Maria Bartomeu.

— Under Joan Laporta, I was a member of the Disciplinary Committee and a legal advisor to the board of directors. Under Bartomeu, I was there only until after Sandro resigned.

Which of these three has been the best president of Barça?

— Without a doubt, Laporta. For me, Rosell was a very good president for the time he was; what happened is that his departure, despite understanding his personal circumstances, did a lot of damage to Barça. When a Barça president is elected by the members, they have a mandate and commitment that lasts as long as the statutes say it does. I understand that Sandro certainly had a compelling reason—look at everything that's happened to him since then—and perhaps one thing had something to do with the other, although he's never told us that. But that departure did a lot of damage to the club.

In the last two elections, in 2015 and 2021, Toni Freixa was a candidate for the presidency. Based on what you said earlier, does this mean you'll never run for Barça's presidency again?

— These next ones definitely won't happen, and I highly doubt I'll do it again, because there's so much time left that it's impossible to plan.

Are you not going to run because you've seen that you don't have the support of your partners?

— In part, yes; I'm not someone the members see as president. This has been demonstrated in the last two elections, under whatever circumstances: in 2015, after a treble and me leaving the Bartomeu board, and in the second, with the reappearance of Joan Laporta and a candidate like Víctor [Font] with the full institutional support of the country. Just like in Spain, instruments and official opinion-makers, so to speak, were absolutely clear that they wanted the president to be Víctor Font, initially, or Joan Laporta, when he returned.

And now perhaps many people will be surprised that you say that Laporta is the best of the last three presidents.

— No, looking at what they've done for Barça, which is what matters to me, for me the best of the three is Laporta. He's a president who arrived in 2003 with the club in a very difficult situation. If you will, he's been very lucky, because both in 2003 and now, generations have emerged from the youth academy that allow a new bloc to be formed, but he's been able to generate the enthusiasm that is Barça. Laporta has been able to connect more with all of this than Sandro Rosell or Josep Maria Bartomeu, who have also had successes.

What was the ultimate reason you wanted to be president of Barça?

— Because I'm a Barça fan, because I have the experience, because I'm capable, and I think I would have done very well. I have no doubts. The thing is, none of this counts. What counts is whether those loudspeakers I was talking about sell you as a valid person.

And why, in your opinion, did the Catalan media outlets decide that Toni Freixa wasn't going to be the president of Barça?

— I don't fit that profile of a businessman, financially wealthy, connected to the independence movement... a combination of things. I'm a lawyer, period. A Barcelona lawyer, but perhaps I'm not connected enough to the people who might bless it.

I'll ask a question to see where the guest stands politically: What were you demanding at the last demonstration you participated in?

— I never go to demonstrations. I think the last time was Miguel Ángel Blanco's, mind you. I don't demonstrate.

Whether you go or not already say things.

— Yes, whoever wants to interpret it that way...

How do you define yourself politically?

— In what sense?

Now I remember once asking Charly Rexach this question, and he replied: "Just so you understand, I've always voted for Convergència."

— I must, then, look, we could agree. I always have a lot of doubts. I don't trust politicians at all. For example, I'll do like Charly: someone I've been listening to a lot and really like what she says is Sílvia Orriols. Because I think she dares to say what so many people who make a living from politics can't. So many people who make a living from politics say one thing today and the opposite tomorrow, because it suits them and not the country.

What you're saying is strong, huh.

— I know. I've told you before. I always say what I think, and yes, I'm a liberal. I don't like excessive controls or excessive taxes. What a professional, who went to the Escolapios de Sarrià, with children who have gone to Viaró and Canigó, might think, and then people say Toni is a member of the Obra. I think there's an excellent education there.

But not because you're from Opus Dei?

— No, I'm not. My political ideology is as I've told you.

The last news I read about you in the ARA newspaper is that you owed €100,000 to your collaborators from the last election campaign in 2021. Have you paid this yet?

— This is a lie and I already told this to the two journalists who made the news.

Now I wish they were here.

— Let them come, we'll talk about it. You can't spend all day denying things that are published. The news is a lie, and if it were true, I suppose they would have sued me, right? If I owe money, I'd have legal proceedings, and I have nothing. There are people who want to cause harm and people who want to make things up, and fake news spreads a lot because it makes people feel morbid.

Searching Google about you in the last few hours, I also found the case of the Badalona Futur club. You were the president, you sold the club, and that ended like a piece of cake, right?

— It's a case I found myself in as owner and president due to a very unpleasant episode with the city club, which would take too long to recount. What I've done for two years is try to get rid of it, which is what I ended up doing, without any debt or problems, despite what people say. I don't owe anyone a single euro.

The last two questions are the same for everyone. A song you've been listening to lately.

— One of the songs of my life is Sultans of Swing, by Dire Straits.

The last words of the interview are yours.

— Well, thank you for this interview because I think we've covered all the topics. Even the controversial ones.