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 VanguardXavi's appearance in the debate cast the current former president and his right-hand man, Alejandro Echevarría, in a negative light. Echevarría questioned Laporta's management and the power he wields, accusing the former president of blocking a hypothetical return of Leo Messi in 2023 to prevent the Argentine from acting as a counterweight. Xavi's entry into the fray significantly impacted the first head-to-head debate between Joan Laporta and Víctor Font. What was intended to be an hour-and-a-quarter conversation divided into three distinct sections (sporting, social, and economic) quickly fell apart. The debate, organized by the Godó Group, devolved into an exchange of recriminations, with proposals for the future overshadowed by the scrutiny of Laporta's term and constant interruptions between the two candidates. Font questioned the former president's "credibility," reminding him that he hadn't renewed Leo Messi's contract, while Laporta repeatedly called his rival a "liar."

Messi was the first name brought up, and Laporta opted to kill the messenger, saying that Xavi was "hurt." This was a way of downplaying Xavi's words, attributing them to the fact that "with the same squad that was losing under him, they're winning with Flick." Xavi had confirmed that the contract was finalized and had received the green light from La Liga. Laporta clarified that in 2023 it was Xavi who contacted Messi, that the Argentine was willing to return to Barcelona, ​​and that a contract offer was even made, but that a few months later Jorge Messi—Leo Messi's father—contacted Laporta to say he was rejecting the offer because at Barça he "would be under too much pressure." In this way, he placed all the blame on Messi. In his rebuttal, Font maintained that "Messi thinks the way Xavi explained it" and, referring to his "credibility," accused the former president of having "a long history of lies and broken promises."

Following up on the interview with Xavi, 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 him, describing him as someone "of utmost trust" and highlighting his role with the players and the federation. Regarding the Terrassa-born coach, he said that it was Echevarría—along with Rafael Yuste, the sporting vice-president and current acting president—who championed his hiring and his continued tenure "until the situation became untenable."

The sporting and economic project

Moderated by Jordi Basté, who at times struggled to ensure the candidates respected speaking turns, the debate continued to focus on the sporting and economic projects, but there was no time for social proposals. Font argued that, with his proposed management model, Barça would not only continue winning but would do so with a sustainable economic model that would guarantee the ownership structure and avoid raising membership and season ticket fees to balance the books. Laporta called his rival a "technocrat" and responded that Barça is not managed from a computer.

Following this line of thought, one of the tensest moments occurred when Font attacked Laporta, saying: "I have Barça in my head and in my heart, I don't carry Barça in my wallet, nor will I ever." Basté asked him to explain, and Font asserted that if he becomes president, he will not live off Barça. Laporta responded: "This lie discredits you as president of Barça. These insinuations are made in bad faith. If you think I live off Barça, you have to say so; I don't make insinuations."

Font wanted to air Laporta's dirty laundry, starting with the alleged 50 million commission paid to Darren Dein for brokering the renewal with Nike. The former president has denied this and, without giving figures, has said that the fees are split between Barça and Nike and that the club "will pay him 1.65% of the deal spread over the next 14 years." Font has also questioned contracts like the one in Congo or alliances with "strange people," such as the one with New Era Visionary Group, accusations that Laporta has dealt with as best he could, justifying that they were made "in times of extreme difficulty."