The accusation by the former CNI commissioner, José Manuel Villarejo, of Joan Laporta and his entourage of having provided information to go to court against Sandro Rosell in Jordi Basté’s interview in ‘El Món a RAC1’ has pushed the former president of Barça to speak about it. In the last few hours he has given two interviews (first on Monday night on RAC1 in the program Tu Diràs and this Tuesday on El Matí de Catalunya Ràdio) in which he claims to believe Villarejo’s words… except for Laporta’s collaboration in his judicial persecution that caused him to be in jail.
“I was very angry when I heard the interview yesterday. Spending two years of your life and that of Joan Besolí, and even more so how his son was (with a serious spinal injury after an accident), affected me a lot. Except for the Laporta issue, “I believed what he said. What does Villarejo gain by saying this? Either he is telling the truth or he is covering up for someone. I want to think that he says it in a lying way.”
To clear up any doubts, Rosell, who spent 21 months in preventive detention accused of money laundering and criminal organization, summons Laporta to a future meeting to clarify the facts. “The best thing is to talk to Jan face to face because I know if she is telling me the truth or not,” he said on RAC1. On Catalunya Ràdio, he stated that “one day I will ask him by looking into his eyes.” Despite wanting to believe that these statements are false, Rosell admitted that Laporta later contacted him but that he did not want to answer the phone and has not yet heard the audio received.
“I haven’t heard Laporta’s voice note, a lot of things went through my head yesterday but I want to make cold decisions.” Laporta plans to take legal action against former CNI commissioner José Manuel Villarejo if he does not recant.
According to Rosell, the best thing would be to do “a catharsis” in the Rosell-Laporta-Bartomeu relationship “for the good of the club.” We must do a catharsis if we believe that Villarejo’s story is a lie. With Bartomeu, Laporta and I we must see each other, call each other the name of the pig, and let no one else put a spanner in the works. “When I am convinced that Villarejo is a lie, we must do that catharsis for the good of the club.”
Rosell assured that for his part he can “regain confidence.” “With Barto I have a friendship, with Laporta it is one of love and heartbreak but I remember more of the good things we did.”
Regarding the Negreira case, for which he is accused of bribery along with Bartomeu and Barça itself, he said that he inherited the services of “a supplier” of many years and denied that the reports of the former referee, at that time vice president of the Referees Committee of the Federation, served to favor Barça. Rather, he feels that during his time in office the referees harmed them.
“A very simple thing has been made into a ball. He made reports, yes, he was paid, yes, normal. What influence did he have? Zero. When people say this they are questioning all the First and Second Division referees “In this country we are very accustomed to killing the person and then asking if they were guilty. The RFEF has said that there is no incompatibility.”
On Catalunya Ràdio, Rosell rules out being president of Barça again, at least in the short term. “My intention is not to run again, although I have learned that you can never say never. For me, the best and worst thing that has happened to me in my life, from a personal and professional point of view, has been at Barça.”
