Messi's failed return marks a first face-to-face meeting between Laporta and Font full of recriminations

BarcelonaThe election campaign for the presidency of Barça has been full of surprises and unexpected players. While until now most of the club's current coaches (such as Hansi Flick and Xavi Pascual) had positioned themselves in favor of Joan Laporta, Xavi Hernández appeared this SundayFormer first-team coach, to join Víctor Font's team. The Terrassa native, in an interview with The VanguardThe interview left the current former president and his right-hand man, Alejandro Echevarría, looking like dirt. It questioned his management and the power this second actor wields, accusing the president of blocking a hypothetical return of Leo Messi in 2023 to prevent the Argentine from acting as a counterweight.

A torpedo below the waterline for Laporta that has conditioned the first face-to-face with Víctor Font. The former president doesn't like surprises and thought he had the situation under control until Xavi decided to speak. Laporta, visibly uncomfortable, excused himself as best he could, while Font, expectant, waited for his opponent's responses to chime in. The only thing that saved Laporta was that the interview was published Sunday night in the digital edition, giving him a little more time to think about his answers.

Organized by the Godó Group and moderated by Jordi Basté, who worked tirelessly to ensure the candidates respected speaking turns, Messi and Echevarria were the first topics discussed and the spark that ignited a debate that, were it not for Xavi, would likely have been more predictable in all its interventions. Font was harping on about the debt and Laporta's "opaque" management, while the former president spoke of the successes of a Barça that is once again at the forefront of the sport.

Laporta opened fire, speaking first, and decided to kill the messenger. He attributed Xavi's words to the fact that the Terrassa native is "hurt" by his departure from Barça and that "the same team that lost with him is now winning [with Flick]." The former president only accepted half of Xavi's explanation, stating that it was Jorge Messi—the player's father—who called and halted the signing at the last minute because the footballer didn't want to face the pressure of Barça again and preferred to play in Miami. Font cleverly used these two versions to cast doubt on the "credibility" of a former president with "a long history of lies and broken promises." Following the thread of the Xavi interview, Font also criticized the presence at the club of Alejandro Echevarría, Laporta's brother-in-law and a member of the sporting commission. However, the former president staunchly defended Echevarría, describing him as someone "of utmost trust" and highlighting his role with the players and the federation. He reminded the Terrassa-born coach that it was precisely Echevarría who advocated for his hiring and for him to remain in the position "until the situation became untenable."

A heated debate with moments of high tension

It was supposed to be an hour and fifteen minutes of conversation divided into three sections: sports, social issues, and the economy. It stretched to almost two hours, with the social section left unfinished. In between, there were moments when the tension was palpable. Laporta showcased his oratorical skills, speaking and responding at will. Font demonstrated that he had learned his lesson from 2021, when he was clearly defeated in the debates. The businessman from Granollers knew how to get down and dirty, argue, and not back down. He was quicker in his responses and didn't hesitate to jump in when he felt directly challenged. This strengthened his position, although the consequence was a head-on clash, filled with reproaches and interruptions, leaving little room for proposals for the future, which are, in reality, the arguments for the change he proposes.

As expected, Font was critical of the lack of transparency, Darren Dein's commissions at Nike, the sponsorship of Congo, and the alliance with New Era Visionary Group—something Laporta struggled to defend. The former president, moderate in tone but forceful in his responses, repeatedly called him a "liar," appealed to Font's lack of experience, labeled him a "technocrat," and accused him of "wanting to run Barça from a computer." One of the most tense moments came with Font's attack on Laporta: "I have Barça in my head and in my heart; I don't carry Barça in my wallet, nor will I ever." It was easy to read between the lines, but nevertheless, Basté asked him to elaborate. Font assured everyone that if he were president, he wouldn't live off Barça. Laporta responded: "This lie discredits you as president of Barça. These insinuations are malicious. If you think I live off Barça, you have to say so; I don't insinuate."

Things didn't escalate. The debate ended with a handshake and a shy hug between the two candidates, who will face each other again on Thursday in the 3cat head-to-head (11 p.m.), the last one before Sunday's elections.