Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has signalled his intent to put himself forward for re-election in 2016 and attacked the current Barca board on a number of issues, including their decision not to renew defender Eric Abidal's contract.
"I feel prepared and every day I am more excited to return to being president of Barcelona," he told a press conference on Monday.
"To present yourself for elections you have to be motivated and I am. But I have to wait until there are elections. When they are close I will reflect more."
Abidal was signed during Laporta's previous reign as president in 2007 and he claimed that not renewing the contract of the Frenchman after he had returned to playing following a liver transplant had damaged the image of the club.
The 33-year-old was instead offered an ambassadorial role in Barca's football schools rather than another playing contract, which he has refused at least until he has finished his playing career somewhere else.
"The Abidal case has not been handled well. It has damaged the image of Barcelona and disappointed the player.
"The club has shown a contradictory attitude and I think they should have extended Eric Abidal's contract for another year."
Laporta also criticised the current Barca administration, led by president Sandro Rossell, for not doing enough to keep Pep Guardiola at the club when he resigned to take a year out of the game at the end of the season.
Moreover, he believes that Guardiola's influence on the club over the years has been devalued by the Barca board and that current coach Tito Vilanova needs to take a more active role in the formation of the squad for next season.
"I have a very good relationship with Pep Guardiola. I am grateful to him because he was the only person to publicly stand up in our favour. Now they are trying to minimise his work, but Guardiola had a vital importance.
"The academy, the foundation, key people in the history of the club, like Guardiola, all this is being distorted at this moment.
"A coach of Barca cannot simply be a spectator to sporting questions of the club. It surprised me when Tito said that the Barca board will give him the players and he is solely dedicated to training. He has to have a criteria."
Club spokesman Toni Freixa meanwhile refused to respond to Laporta's criticism but insisted there were no plans to call a presidential election before 2016, despite rumours it could be brought forward.
"We respect the opinions of all the members and Laporta is a distinguished member," he told a press conference.
"Our intention is to fulfil our mandate, which finishes in the year of 2016."

Harmonica wrote:Yeah, Laporta is true Spaniard. "Lets do what we like, we can always have more debt."

free_cat wrote:

Harmonica wrote:Yeah, Laporta is true Spaniard. "Lets do what we like, we can always have more debt."

First Laporta is Catalan and a catalan independentist.

Second, you don't know what you are talking about. Laporta got Barça in the worst sportive and financial state in the last 30 years.

Rosell used accounting engineering to change last year of Laporta's balance and to show a huge loss. Even with this false huge loss in the last term, all Laporta's years combined almsot break even in revenue and expenses, which means that he barely increased debt as you claim, while tripling income and making us a world reference. Almost a miracle.

Harmonica wrote:

free_cat wrote:

Harmonica wrote:Yeah, Laporta is true Spaniard. "Lets do what we like, we can always have more debt."

First Laporta is Catalan and a catalan independentist.

Second, you don't know what you are talking about. Laporta got Barça in the worst sportive and financial state in the last 30 years.

Rosell used accounting engineering to change last year of Laporta's balance and to show a huge loss. Even with this false huge loss in the last term, all Laporta's years combined almsot break even in revenue and expenses, which means that he barely increased debt as you claim, while tripling income and making us a world reference. Almost a miracle.

I think his nationality is Spain.

So what's the balance at Laporta's and Rosell's time?

free_cat wrote:

Harmonica wrote:

free_cat wrote:

First Laporta is Catalan and a catalan independentist.

Second, you don't know what you are talking about. Laporta got Barça in the worst sportive and financial state in the last 30 years.

Rosell used accounting engineering to change last year of Laporta's balance and to show a huge loss. Even with this false huge loss in the last term, all Laporta's years combined almsot break even in revenue and expenses, which means that he barely increased debt as you claim, while tripling income and making us a world reference. Almost a miracle.

I think his nationality is Spain.

So what's the balance at Laporta's and Rosell's time?

Listen, if you like using spanish nationalist arguments like "in your identity card says you are spanish" (which is not really an argument) you should really think of changing clubs.

One of Barça's main value is Catalunya, and if you don't respect it even with an ex Barça President, you might as well f*ck off.

Balances are public and can be get from the website.

Harmonica wrote:

free_cat wrote:

Harmonica wrote:I think his nationality is Spain.

So what's the balance at Laporta's and Rosell's time?

Listen, if you like using spanish nationalist arguments like "in your identity card says you are spanish" (which is not really an argument) you should really think of changing clubs.

One of Barça's main value is Catalunya, and if you don't respect it even with an ex Barça President, you might as well f*ck off.

Balances are public and can be get from the website.

I'm not a Spanish, nor Catalan, and couldn't care less about the subject.

I thought you had the figures, when you were so adamant about it?

free_cat wrote:

Harmonica wrote:

free_cat wrote:

Listen, if you like using spanish nationalist arguments like "in your identity card says you are spanish" (which is not really an argument) you should really think of changing clubs.

One of Barça's main value is Catalunya, and if you don't respect it even with an ex Barça President, you might as well f*ck off.

Balances are public and can be get from the website.

I'm not a Spanish, nor Catalan, and couldn't care less about the subject.

I thought you had the figures, when you were so adamant about it?

If you don't care less about the subject, don't side with the spanish and try to tell us we are Spanish.

Of course I have the figures, but there's no reason I have to work for you. Go and look for them, or just continue to be ignorant and do like you know what you are talking about.

free_cat wrote:Then Finnish were Russians and should continue to be Russians.

You didn't even make any point.

Edit: I had 08/09 accounts in my PC so I'll post this image, which is a graphic summary of economical results under Laporta:



Blue is the exercise result, red is the income. It goes from 2002-2003 (last Gaspart year) to 2009-2010 (Last Laporta year - only projected, not official results).

Laporta took over in 2003/04 after Gaspart's last year 2002-2003 with terrible economical (170 milion of losses) and sporting results. After that year, they made a profit every season until 2008/09. 2009/2010 was Laporta's last season which appears in the graph only as a projection. All the rest are official and audited economical results. The results of this final exercise are disputed, Laporta claiming to have a profit of 10 milions, Rosell claiming there was a loss of 77 milion (the results finally filed). Even if the loss was of 77 milion as Rosell claims, the net result under Laporta is a net profit of 37 milion.

Even if the debt was slighlty increased, it is much easier to deal with an X amount of debt with 400+ milion of income as Laporta left the Club, than 140 milion, as he found it. And without selling our shirt after lying that you would not do that.

free_cat wrote:It's the same of what you are saying. Finland is Russia.

You don't know that debt increases or decreases mostly in relation to Profit/losses?

free_cat wrote:Please, kizz or dani, delete the last couple of posts from this Russian. He is trolling and going in circles to already answered questions.

free_cat wrote:Personal insults? I only called you Russian, which is the same as calling Laporta and me,spanish which you started in this thread.

The question hasn't been answered because there's no need.

Harmonica wrote:

free_cat wrote:Personal insults? I only called you Russian, which is the same as calling Laporta and me,spanish which you started in this thread.

Didn't you just tell me f*ck off couple of post earlier?

The question hasn't been answered because there's no need.

So first it is answered, and then it isn't? Now I'm confused.

free_cat wrote:

Harmonica wrote:

free_cat wrote:Personal insults? I only called you Russian, which is the same as calling Laporta and me,spanish which you started in this thread.

Didn't you just tell me f*ck off couple of post earlier?

The question hasn't been answered because there's no need.

So first it is answered, and then it isn't? Now I'm confused.

Why are you obsessed with debt? Does Barça owe you money or something? If you ask nicely, I'll go and show you the figures, and you will see you are wrong.

Now F*ck off is a personal insult? I always took it as "get lost/get hell out of here (the Club)", anyway that's what I meant with it.

Harmonica wrote:

free_cat wrote:

Harmonica wrote:Didn't you just tell me f*ck off couple of post earlier?

So first it is answered, and then it isn't? Now I'm confused.

Why are you obsessed with debt? Does Barça owe you money or something? If you ask nicely, I'll go and show you the figures, and you will see you are wrong.

Now F*ck off is a personal insult? I always took it as "get lost/get hell out of here (the Club)", anyway that's what I meant with it.

No but financial well being is good for the club, which I support. Now I would like to know how the debt has developed between the two?

Yes it is.

free_cat wrote:

Harmonica wrote:

free_cat wrote:

Why are you obsessed with debt? Does Barça owe you money or something? If you ask nicely, I'll go and show you the figures, and you will see you are wrong.

Now F*ck off is a personal insult? I always took it as "get lost/get hell out of here (the Club)", anyway that's what I meant with it.

No but financial well being is good for the club, which I support. Now I would like to know how the debt has developed between the two?

Yes it is.

If you care so much, go and fetch the data. I even gave you the link. Or ask nicely.

Sorry if you took it as a personal insult, I really didn't mean it that way. I'll edit and change it to "stay away from our club" which is what I wanted to mean.