The group of veteran footballers who all wear shirts with Johan Cruyff’s No 14 on the back play each Saturday morning overlooking the Mediterranean south of Barcelona. Last Saturday, they unfurled a flag before the game.
“Joan Laporta. President,” it read, in Barca’s colours. Most of the team which plays for all 52 weeks of the year in normal times posed with the flag. Most are Barca fans, most Catalan. The group were close to their hero Cruyff and close too to the former Barca president Laporta. He came to visit last month as he toured as many of the 109,531 Barca socios as possible, like a politician hoping to secure their vote.
The club’s latest presidential election came about because 20,000 petition signatories demanded an autumn vote of no confidence on president Josep Maria Bartomeu as their club sank into an institutional and financial crisis.
In the latest twist of negative news lines, police raided the club offices and also arrested Bartomeu as they investigated allegations that club monies were being used to silence critics on social media.
Laporta, who oversaw the most successful era in Barca’s presidency between 2003-2010, put himself into a crowded field and soon became favourite. He ran for president in 2015 but was well beaten by Bartomeu in the year Barca won the Treble.
On Sunday, Barca’s members voted – by proxy and in person as thousands of them came to Camp Nou. Lionel Messi was one and voted for the first time, before taking one of his sons into the towering, tiered stands for a view of the pitch he himself never sees. Former captain Carles Puyol voted too – as did the three club presidential candidates.
The mood was optimistic and enthusiastic amid the pandemic gloom at the end of a week of cloudy weather. Fans talked of hope and a brighter future. They'd been dismayed by results on the pitch, at the way the club's debt crept towards €1 billion ($1.186bn), as well as Messi's treatment which caused him to demand to leave soon after the 8-2 hammering by Bayern Munich. There were many other areas of contention including the way Neymar was allowed to leave and how the record transfer fee received for him was squandered.
Charismatic, popular and not backward at coming forward, Laporta is a populist and separatist who wants Catalonia to be independent from Spain and briefly served as a politician in 2010. In this club campaign, he traded on what he brought to the club last time – a second European Cup, Lionel Messi, league titles.
He’s a genuine fan too. A lawyer, he was part of a supporters’ group which wanted to disrupt the established order in the late 90s. That ultimately led to him becoming president in 2003 on a ticket to bring David Beckham to the club.
Beckham joined Madrid's Galacticos and had no intention of joining Barcelona but Laporta nicked Ronaldinho out of the clutches of Manchester United. The Brazilian had already told friends he was going to Manchester. United didn't think Barca, who were facing financial problems, had the money.
They didn’t count on the club’s strong connections and credit lines to pre-2008 economic crisis Catalan banks. Barca has long been supported by Catalonia’s business class.
Ronaldinho revolutionised the club, Messi inherited his mantle and Laporta made bold moves such as pushing for Pep Guardiola to be first team manager in 2008 when others on his board wanted Jose Mourinho. Laporta called that right.
Football is emotion and Laporta, 58, played on that brilliantly. When he won the well-contested election with 54 per cent of Sunday’s vote (second place Victor Font reached 30 per cent) he and his team sang Barca’s anthem like fans. His predecessor Bartomeu never looked more than a grey bureaucrat with a greater love for basketball than football. Pep Guardiola and the Cruyff family were among those who congratulated Laporta.
Football is tribal too. Soon after Laporta announced his intention to be president again, he paid for a huge billboard close to Real Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium saying he was looking forward to seeing them again.
He meant Barca fans who lived in the Spanish capital but also, of course, Real Madrid fans for whom he’d caused so many problems as Barcelona, who’d only won one league title between 1974 and 1991, became football's pre-eminent force. None of his rivals marketed themselves as well.
Barca fans hope he can make their club the best in the world again. Laporta wants Messi, 33, to stay but he has to get the club out of a financial hole which saw player wages cut and paid late but also, in his words, “to again make Barca a reference point in the football world.”
He has to do that in a pandemic when Barça have suffered more than any other club from a loss of fans who visit for games (average crowds are 78,000) and the international tourists who snap up expensive match tickets and fill the club’s museum and shops.
On Monday, Laporta went to see current manager, Ronald Koeman, who has overseen 13 wins in the last 16 games and has led the team to close the gap at the top of the table to just three points.
Laporta, never passing up a media opportunity, was wearing a face mask with Cruyff’s number 14 on it. When Koeman, who was signed by Cruyff, scored the goal which won Barca’s first ever European Cup in 1992, Laporta was there as a fan.
Laporta has talked of the team coming back from the 4-1 defeat to PSG this week, but just keeping the club's head above water will be progress this time.
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Barca knock Sevilla out of Copa del Rey: player ratings
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BARCELONA RATINGS: Marc-Andre Ter Stegen 9 – The German goalkeeper had a great game, particularly making some strong punches to clear. His highlight was saving the Sevilla penalty after guessing the right way and denying Ocampos. Getty -
Sergino Dest 6 – The wing-back made some very good runs down the right-hand side and provided a number of decent crosses, though he could have been more accurate with his final ball. EPA -
Gerard Pique 8 - Barcelona’s saviour to send the game to extra time in the 93rd minute, Pique got on the end of a Griezmann cross to level the tie at the death. Until then, he’d had a quiet but effective game at the game. AFP -
Clement Lenglet 6 – Consistent if not spectacular, Lenglet made a number of solid tackles and timely clearances. Getty -
Oscar Mingueza 6 – The young defender was having a good game until he gave away a penalty, bringing down Ocampos. Koeman decided to take him off, but Mingueza can be pleased with most aspects of his performance. Reuters -
Jordi Alba 9 - A brilliant game from the Spaniard who made a number of good runs along the left, whipping in crosses high and low. He nearly got himself a goal, but hit the bar with a shot that would have been goal of the tournament had it gone in. AFP -
Pedri 6 - The midfielder performed well, particularly when running at the Sevilla defence with the ball at his feet. However, at times, he was poor at winning back the ball, and he gave away a few fouls. AFP -
Sergio Busquets 6 – Like Pedri, Busquets put in a good shift protecting the back line. He did, however, give the ball away cheaply at times. Getty -
Frenkie De Jong – 7 - The Dutchman fed some very impressive passes and through balls to Messi and Dembele. He also showed good battling qualities, though he went missing for short spells. AFP -
Lionel Messi 8 – The Argentine led by example with his quick feet and tantalising skill. He had some good chances to score but maybe took too many touches at times. Reuters -
Ousmane Dembele 9 – He made an impressive start to the game by scoring a spectacular opener from outside of the box into the top corner. He also supplied a number of good crosses and used his pace well to create chances. AP -
SUBS: Antoine Griezmann 7- The Frenchman replaced Dest and ultimately provided a game-changing cross that Pique headed home to take the game to extra time. Getty -
Junior Firpo 6 – The youngster replaced Mingueza and didn’t make much of an impact, but though he kept tight to his man. AFP -
Ilaix Moriba 5- Moriba’s highlight was a weak header that ended up in the opposition keepers’ hands. EPA -
Martin Braithwaite 8 - Coming on as a substitute before extra-time, he made little impact in the 90 minutes but then came up with the third goal, nutmegging the goalkeeper in the process. AFP -
Francisco Trincao 5 - The Portuguese attacker didn’t create much or add much to the game, but he did use skill at times to beat his man successfully. Getty -
SEVILLA RATINGS: Tomas Vaclik 5 – Despite making some good saves he let in some very stoppable goals; his reactions were slow for the first and he was nutmegged for the third. Probably a night to forget for him. EPA -
Aleix Vidal 7 - Before coming off injured, Vidal was probably Sevilla’s best player, adding pace, an attacking sense and accurate passes. It was a real blow for Sevilla when he had to go off. EPA -
Jules Kounde 5 – The defender was often found one step behind Barcelona’s attackers as they dominated the play and turned Sevilla’s defensive zone into their playground. He really needed to stay tighter to his man. AFP -
Diego Carlos 6 – Despite a shaky first-half performance he stepped up in the second half and made up for his mistakes, clearing many incoming balls. He stopped a lot of the opposition attacks but in the end, Barca’s forwards were too much for him. EPA -
Marcos Acuna 7 – Another one of Sevilla’s top performers taken off, the left-back marshalled Dest well in the first half, often stopping his crosses. EPA -
Fernando 4 – A disastrous performance from the Brazilian who was sent off for two yellow-card offences, one for a foul and another for dissent. EPA -
Joan Jordan 5- In the first half, he sat off Dembele too much and allowed him to shoot and score. He did have a chance to make amends with a shot, but it went off target. He was later brought off for Munir. Getty -
Oliver Torres 5 – The midfielder didn’t add much to the game apart from a few passes and needless fouls. Overall, he didn’t produce anything spectacular. AFP -
Suso 5 - The normally skilful attacker was very quiet. He did, however, show flashes of his talent with good footwork on the wing. Getty -
Youssef En Nesyri 6- A slow first half but as the game went on, he came into his own and created a few chances. His best moment was an excellent pass to Ocampos, which then led to a penalty. Reuters -
Luuk De Jong 5 – The striker fluffed a few chances but ultimately suffered from a lack of service. Getty -
SUBS: Lucas Ocampos 5 – The attacker had the chance to secure the tie for Sevilla from the spot, but his penalty was well saved by Ter Stegen. AFP -
Ivan Rakitic 5 - The former Barcelona man was unable to hurt his former side after coming on as a sub. He created very little. Reuters -
Jesus Navas 6 – Acting as Vidal’s replacement, he did keep the right-back position secure and didn’t allow many attacks along that side of the pitch, but he didn’t bring Vidal’s flair. Reuters -
Karim Rekik 6 – A fairly poor performance for Rekik who couldn’t get involved and, though he contributed a few good headers, he was guilty of backing off his men. Reuters -
Papu Gomez 6 – After coming on for Suso he offered a good press, especially when Lenglet was in possession, but he didn’t create many opportunities and found himself dropping deeper to help out his central midfield and defence. EPA -
Munir El Haddadi 5 - This late sub made little impact in the last 15 minutes, he gave Sevilla a bit of an attacking threat, but the Barcelona defence handled him well. EPA
