BARCELONA – Joan Laporta “sleeps very little, four or five hours, rarely reaches six, and has an overflowing vitality”, revealed to ESPN Digital a source very close to the new president of Barcelona who explained in this way the his ability to deal with unexpected situations such as the one that caused the untimely departure of Jaume Giró from his management team without this making him lose the perspective of other issues that he understands are fundamental at the beginning of his term.
And in parallel to solving this economic crisis that weighs on the club, Laporta, a passionate footballer like few others, considers it essential to support a sports project that motivates the Barça fan. How? With the big assets he has in the locker room. If you study this chimerical signing of Erling Haaland will have to wait a few weeks, the opposite happens with those on the payroll, and two names stand out above the rest: Lionel Messi and Ronald Koeman. They both have the undisguised affection of a president, they both received it publicly in their inauguration speech and everyone already knows how much he loves them as the undisputed axes of his project.
“Joan has clear concepts and doesn’t speak to speak … Well, letting go of what he let go of Leo in front of everyone was a point but he has been turning the subject around for weeks,” he explained to ESPN Digital a direct collaborator of his candidacy, admitting that “broadly speaking” the president has a plan to convince the Argentine star of its continuity.
Giving him the “affection” that he maintains is fundamental, Laporta has already done it, alone and in the eyes of everyone, and from here begins the time to roll up his sleeves to turn this affection into a concrete proposal that can convince him. “Messi knows the situation of the club and understands the need to lower his salary,” said the same source, without going into detail but clarifying that the idea of president, and by extension of his board, is to offer to the captain an indefinite contract linked to a continuity at Barça beyond the end of his career, which is contemplated at least three or four years from now.
The post-footballer Messi could become the visible face of the Club Foundation, which Laporta wants to give a push to consider that it does not have the media impact it deserves at the moment and through the image of the Argentine, as a major exponent in direct collaboration with his own, he would obtain.
In the short term, the most urgent task is to convince through a clear and concise idea in the sports plan. “If Leo feels accompanied on the field in a team with options to fight for everything there will already be a lot of profit,” said the same source, arguing that from here the economic aspect of this new contract would not be , will not be, an insurmountable aspect.
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Messi hugged the new president of Barcelona strongly before the proclamation ceremony.
There is no point in speculating about the pay cut to be made in this new contract. Either 20, 25 or 30 percent, since the new directive is considered feasible to eliminate this agreement. Even more so when one is convinced that Messi, who went to the polls in a clear demonstration of his identification with the club, welcomed with obvious satisfaction Laporta’s victory at the polls.
KOEMAN, non-negotiable
If resolving Messi’s continuity is known to be essential, maintaining Koeman’s “is indisputable” according to another person on the management team. “Ronald, you know you have the confidence of this board of directors,” Laporta told the Dutch coach during the inauguration, which was absolutely reinforced in the eyes of everyone.
Koeman warned in previous weeks that considering it “very important” that the club have a president, he also wanted to have things clear about his person by this new leader and Laporta’s message could not be more conclusive.
With one more season of contract, the Dutchman’s work is highly valued in this present turmoil. Not only has he taken the pulse of a dressing room that respects him for his clear and direct speech, for his predisposition to change schemes or for having reinforced the daily effort, but he has gained in the environment thanks to his undisguised commitment to give confidence to the youth, who personalized in Pedri, but also in Araújo, Ilaix, Dest, the now injured Ansu Fati or Riqui Puig and waiting for the observed Konrad, Collado and others offer a bright future in the Barça squad .
Understanding out of context, and unfeasible, a return of Pep Guardiola to the bench (the Catalan coach maintains a very good relationship with Laporta, whom he congratulated on his electoral victory), the name of Xavi Hernández emerges clearly. Who is seen in key more future than present.
Today, and tomorrow, Barça’s coach is Ronald Koeman without discussion and no matter how much the new president and his management team understand that he must be the target of any incident, there is confidence that the The Dutchman could be a mid / long-distance coach at the Camp Nou, in the image and likeness of what he starred in in his previous stage Frank Rijkaard.
THE MARKET
The way to strengthen the team is a difficult puzzle to solve in the short term. In the summer of 2003 Laporta absolutely revolutionized the group, giving exit up to eight soccer players with contract (Riquelme, Rochemback, Frank de Boer, Giovanni, Dani, Bonano, Enke and Christanval) and not exercising the purchase option by Mendieta and Sorín … But imagining a similar scenario in this 2021 is expected to be very complicated.
If there were assignments then, a similar solution could now be sought as offering losses, taking into account wages, may be more difficult. Only from the outings they could get- (Net, Samuel Umtiti, Philippe Coutinho and Junior Firpo are the first but not the only names that go on the map) you can start thinking about how and with whom to strengthen the staff.
Koeman maintains his desire to incorporate Memphis Depay, who could be a Laporta concession if that doesn’t stop further draft signings. If the name of Georginio Wijnaldum loses weight and David Alaba is suspected to be little or not at all, Sergio Agüero does not have the necessary quorum, quite the opposite of Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian is seen as “the 2003 Ronaldinho, the name”, is recognized in the new management team, but the reality of the club is more complicated than 18 years ago and negotiating his signing is a huge and utopian challenge when refers to an operation with figures exceeding 100 million euros.
Impossible? “Nothing is impossible. We are Barça and with Joan this consideration does not exist”, warned another person of maximum confidence of the new president. You have to see it …