Despite the success enjoyed in the last seven years, president Joan Laporta still feels that the pain outweighs the gain.
Since being elected in 2003, Laporta has constantly been in the limelight at the helm of Barcelona for good and for bad. Now as he enters his last six months in charge, he explains how difficult it has been for him and for his fellow directors.
“We have had to suffer too much in order to achieve this. It is not in proportion between what we have suffered and what we have achieved,” said Laporta. “To be president of Barça you have to be prepared to suffer. That is the way it is and it is a privilege to be president but you must love the club and have a great capacity for resistance against those against what the club stands for. It is necessary to isolate yourself from everything and make decisions.”
Already members of the board have made public their wishes to take over from Laporta, something that the actual president is not happy about. Alfons Godall and Jaume Ferrer have both announced their intention this week.
“I will leave the new president in charge of a club in a better condition than when I arrived. This is the best model and the actual directors are in the best position to continue it. I shall be neutral in the electoral process but I ask for the candidates to present a constructive debate,” said Laporta.
“The aim for this season now is to repeat what we have done which has been acknowledged around the world and what is more, this has been achieved by people from here who love the club.”
Meanwhile the Barça players and staff will be on holiday until December 29th when training will begin again. Guardiola himself decided to spend some of his time in Qatar where he played in the twilight years of his career.
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