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7 months ago
35 ARTICLE AD
The president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta, will find himself in the crosshairs of Barcelona pressure in the coming months, as the departure of Xavi Hernandez draws closer.
It will be up to Laporta and sporting director Deco to decide the new direction of business in Catalonia, and without Xavi to take most of the criticism, if things continue to go wrong from here on out, it will be up to them neck that will be at stake.
So, according to Sport, Laporta made a curious move towards the end of the January transfer window, which ended on February 1, but it was not a move towards a player. The Catalan boss was spotted in Palma de Mallorca and the newspaper claims a meeting took place at a restaurant called El Portitxol with former football director Mateu Alemany.
Huge institutional crisis at Barça
The aim was to persuade Alemany to return to the club, after he was forced out in August to make way for sporting director Deco, who wanted full powers over transfers. The exact role Alemany would have had is unclear, but he would have rejected Laporta’s offer out of hand. The technician was linked with a position at Atlético de Madrid and the presidency of the Spanish Football Federation, and had no intention of returning to the Blaugrana.
The natural assumption is that Laporta feels his expertise is lacking at Barcelona – Alemany oversaw the construction of the team that won La Liga last season. The former Valencia sporting director had initially planned to leave for Aston Villa last April, but that plan fell through due to disagreements with Unai Emery. When he changed his mind, steps had already been taken to bring in Deco, who wanted full control over the team.
Written by:
Manu Tournoux is a passionate and knowledgeable football enthusiast with a special focus on French football. Born and raised in France, Manu discovered his love for the beautiful game at a young age and developed a deep understanding of the ins and outs of "Le Championnat." His French roots and extensive experience in football journalism have made him an invaluable asset to the French Football Weekly team. As an author for the website, Manu's expertise includes not only in-depth analysis of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches but also insightful profiles of up-and-coming talents, detailed transfer news, and engaging coverage of the French national team. His captivating writing style and undeniable passion for the game have earned him a loyal following among our readers. When he's not crafting engaging articles for French Football Weekly, Manu enjoys attending live matches whenever he can, exploring football culture in various French cities, and engaging in spirited debates with fellow fans. Feel free to follow Manu on Twitter and interact with him as he shares his expert opinions, insights, and love for French football.
