The president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta, has given two interviews to El Periódico and Mundo Deportivo. In them he has reviewed the current affairs of the club, from the chances of winning the league, through the victory at the Bernabeu or transfer rumors.
Fighting for the league?
Starting with the options of fighting for the league, the president was clear and showed his confidence: "We can win and I say this because the team is improving. Madrid has to enter a low phase, because they have kept thirteen or fourteen fixed players, and we have had more versatility. We have had low moments, especially at the beginning, and now we are in a good moment and we are facing this last stretch with the hope of being able to compete for the league. We are twelve points behind, if we beat Rayo we will be nine points behind and we have to think that we have to win every game. It's a big challenge, but we like challenges and the whole club has this mentality," said Laporta.
The 0-4 win over Madrid
On the other hand, he also spoke about the 0-4 victory in the Clàsico and the subsequent celebration that has given so much to talk about: "It is the typical celebration you do when you win a game, the players in the locker room with music, but everyone does it. With the sports management we took a photo, I don't think it bothered anyone, at the end of that emblematic match. We had come from some bad times and it was the confirmation that we were on the right track. The photo was not taken with the intention of offending anyone. It was a nice moment for us when we were excited, but we didn't do any bouncing or somersaults," explained Joan.
The project and future signings
Returning to Barça matters, the president spoke about the sporting project: "The technical secretariat and the sports management are working to improve our squad, which is getting better and better, and we are increasingly satisfied. I want it to be clearly understood that we prioritize the team above all else, a team reinforced in each of its lines and what we do not participate in is to promote players or look for players who are more than the team. What we want to reinforce is the team we have that plays based on a system such as Barça's.... A team that can play this system with very talented players", Laporta reiterated.
Araujo and Gavi, are they re-signing?
Finally, the man who a few days ago completed his first year in office as president reassured the fans about the renewals of Araujo and Gavi, although he warned of the limits: "Within our salary levels, there is a framework within which to negotiate. We want them to stay and they want to stay. I expect them to adapt to the salary bases they are entitled to. If they don't want to stay, there will be no problem either". He clarified.