Messi, guarantees, sections, cuts and sports planning. The president of FC Barcelona offers some clues as to what Barça will be like in the 23-24 season in men’s and women’s football and their sections.
The conquest of the six leagues was accompanied by the announcement of the departures of Mirotic and Jasikevicius. Couldn’t the success have been celebrated more appropriately?
We cannot have these salaries in basketball. We can be just as competitive without investing 40 million in salaries. The positions between Mirotic and the club are very far apart, but we will see how his departure is resolved. It has given us successes, but it was time to do this reorganization. In the case of Jasikevicius, he was perhaps the best paid coach in Europe and when we started the negotiations we already saw that we shouldn’t continue that way.
But with less budget it will not be like the miracle of the loaves and the fishes trying to maintain the level?
In basketball we will have a budget of 30 million in salaries, enough to be competitive. In handball we are at eight million, by far the first in the league. In futsal, five million, and the second is 1.3. In hockey, at three million and at the state level we have the highest budget. And in women’s football, which gives benefits, we have increased salaries and we have gone from 8.95 million to 9.79. Whoever says that we do not bet on the sections is not telling the truth.
Do you understand that Messi opted for Miami taking into account that there have hardly been any departures that would generate salary space for his incorporation?
I understand, but one thing has nothing to do with the other. We had an agreement with LaLiga that we would dedicate part of the resources we have to Messi. Within the feasibility plan it was contemplated. We communicated it to Jorge Messi. He told me that Leo had had a very difficult year in Paris and that he wanted less pressure. With our option, he would have continued to have pressure and I understood his decision. Let him do very well and we begin to prepare his super tribute. Within the framework of the 125th anniversary and when we return to the Camp Nou it would be perfect.
Do they owe Messi money?
What is owed to him is the deferral of the salary mass that was agreed with the previous board and that produces pending payments that end in 2025. He is paid religiously.
Does it enter the wage bill?
It corresponds to the wage bill, but it is interpretable. Now, with the improvement of relations with LaLiga, the indemnities of the sections will not have an impact on the financial fair play, and this is good news.
What does have an impact on the wage bill is the return of those on loan. The Umtiti case has been resolved. How are the others?
I think that with Tottenham we will reach an agreement for Lenglet. We also lack Dest. This almost never goes fast. It depends on the other party. For us, they are all cases that would have been solved yesterday.
Do you recommend Ansu Fati to continue or to leave?
To continue. He has to earn Xavi’s trust and when he comes out make a difference because due to talent he can do it. Glad you continue. There are offers for Christensen, for Pedri, for Gavi, for Araújo, for Ter Stegen, for Ansu, for Raphinha, for Balde. But we are not a sales club.
He does not mention Kessié in the relationship, with an offer from Saudi Arabia.
We are not formally aware of it. If he wants to leave we will respect him, but he can be very useful for Barça.
Xavi said that it was essential to bring in a top-level pivot.
He understands the club’s situation. He would like to strengthen the midfield, but he knows that some options are unfeasible and we would be wrong. We would cut the progression of the quarry. We have Marc Casadó, Pau Prim, Gerard Hernández or Marc Bernal. First you have to look at home.
Oriol Romeu’s option could be cheaper.
He has had an extraordinary year in Girona, he was in our youth academy. He is working on these types of options from the technical secretariat. We’ll see.
A right side is missing…
Maybe, but we have to register Gavi, Araújo… and then we’ll see according to the starts.
What does change is the sports structure with Deco.
We will announce Deco’s entry in mid-July. He will perform the role of Txiki Begiristain in my first stage.
You have a very good relationship with representatives like Jorge Mendes and Pini Zahavi. Shouldn’t we keep more distance?
There is a relationship from many years ago and they helped us. Most of the representatives want to be on good terms with Barça, with a relationship of respect, I’m also thinking of Iván de la Peña. If there is any representative that is more belligerent, in regards to football it does not occur. Sometimes it has been in other sports.
Does it refer to the representative of Mirotic and Jasikevicius?
I do not want to enter. The approach to the negotiations is not what it should be and I already said it: whoever tries to put us against the wall is wrong.
He also has a good relationship with the representatives Mateu Alemany. How was your decision to continue managed?
Normally. It was cause for joy. We understood that she had a great offer and that she decided to leave, but then he thought it was better to rectify. He is one of the architects of the recovery of the club.
Another of the architects is Xavi. How is his renewal?
He knows that the priority is to improve the team and the feasibility plan. Then, there will be time for his contract extension and improvement, he deserves it. He wants to continue and there will be no problem.
There is a certain tension between Guardiola and Xavi. How does he see it?
They are not bad. What happens is that Xavi emerges as a great figure of Barcelona and Guardiola is one of our great references, and these things happen. It is more a question of environments and journalistic morbidity than of its being a reality. What yes that sometimes has given the feeling that praising Xavi was giving up everything that Pep gave us, and it is not like that. Praising Xavi does not mean underestimating Pep’s heritage.
At what point are the renewals of Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí?
With Alexia we are quite close to the agreement. Aitana has a longer contract and we have not yet started the process.
