Joan Laporta accuses Toni Freixa of being "Josep Maria Bartomeu's assistant"

Joan Laporta accuses Toni Freixa of being "Josep Maria Bartomeu's assistant"

The first debate in the electoral campaign to become the FC Barcelona president took place in Vic on Monday at the university. It threw up the first confrontation between the candidates, with Joan Laporta accusing Toni Freixa of being "Josep Maria Bartomeu's assistant"

Here are the first words of the candidates...

Laporta:

"We left the best Barça in history, the new board signed who they wanted, Cesc, Alexis... The Barça shirt was available for sponsorship if necessary, but I feel bad about what they have done with Qatar, first with the Qatar Foundation and later with Qatar Airways. We left a club solvent economically, with a good future sportingly and with a base for the future. We are proud [of what we did]."

"They have lied about Qatar. They said it was the only serious offer for sponsorship and they lied." 

"Bartomeu is not here, we have his assistant, though [Freixa]." Directing his comments at Freixa: "You were on the board, if you see so many things that you don't like, you leave." 

Freixa: 

"The future of Barça is more than the war between Rosellismo and Laportismo. We want a constructive debate, thinking about Barça, talking ideas..." 

"Qatar was necessary when we arrived [on the board]. We have to manage in that moment the way we found the club. It served a function, but it has been a controversial choice, some of the socios are uncomfortable with [Qatar], so it has to stop being a sponsor. There are alternatives."

Benedito: 

"I don't think that Freixa is an assistant, you just have to see Bartomeu's face when the votes came in [for Freixa]."

"Bartomeu will not go anywhere for a debate, except TV3, and because it will be on Tuesday, not Thursday."

He criticised Laporta for his continuous reference to Johan Cruyff: "What an obesession with Cruyff... he's active within barcelonismo, but all the time with Cruyff... He's important and worth listening to, but so are others." 

Marc Cornet

The member of 'Seguiment FCB' insisted on the two main points of their campaign: Improving the atmosphere and a travel agents for away games to help reduce the costs of travel. The other three candidates gave a positive view on improving the atmosphere, while Freixa and Laporta also felt it would be positive to have an internal travel company. Benedito, though, did not think that was a viable option.