Víctor Font (Granollers, 1972), who obtained practically 17,000 votes in the FC Barcelona elections that Joan Laporta won on March 7, says that he expected more from the new president and asks the board of directors for more transparency when explaining the decisions that are made.
In addition, in this interview with EFE, Font assures that he continues to work on his project 'Sí al Futur' and that he is at the disposal of the Laporta board of directors to help in whatever is necessary.
What have you done since the elections?
“To work. I had two days of decompression after electoral day, but from then on I returned to the same reality that I lived before the pre-electoral period. I continue with my professional activity, with my family and with Barça, there are practically no days of the week that does not think or do something related to the Barça “.
Since then, have you ever thought that you were lucky not to win considering the difficult situation the club is experiencing?
“No, there are many people who ask me this. But no, precisely after all these years of work we were prepared and we had a plan in place to deal with the situation at the club. The situation at Barça was known to us. and we had our homework done. “
How do you rate the first 100 days of Laporta's mandate?
“Surely my feeling is the one that many partners have, that we expected more from Laporta. The reality is that there are many things that had to be done and that today they are not yet resolved nor do we know in what state they are because we have not been Having said that, I am convinced that all these issues will be resolved. Once the income returns with the opening of the stadiums the economic situation can be reversed perfectly, the team will continue to have a lot of talent to win everything and I am convinced that Laporta and its board of directors will do things with transparency, explaining them to us in detail and counting more on the partners, with Assemblies that really work and are not a paripe. If we do not do it like that, we will have problems. “
Did the Assembly look like a paripe to you?
“In general, the Assembly seemed to me to kick forward. Practically nothing was explained to the members and some decisions that were said to be taken, such as participation in the Super League, were not voted in the end. It was an Assembly of But I am convinced that in the October Assembly there will be an exercise in transparency, that everything will be explained to us in detail and that everything possible will be done so that as many people as possible participate. That there are only 600 delegates is a problem. And in the long term, this anachronistic representative model that the partners have, I hope that it will be reformed. “
How do you assess that the Laporta board encouraged the delegates to approve the accounts of the Bartomeu board?
“It was doing the minimum necessary so that the activity could continue and kicking forward. Instead, in our plan of the first 100 days there was the planning to finish the 'due diligence' before the Assembly so that it could be explained in detail” .
During the electoral campaign, one of the star issues was what you named 'Bonos Laporta'. Are you surprised that this issue was not discussed during the term?
“For me it is evidence that there was no plan, that they came up with little-worked ideas and once they got to work, I understand that they realized that these ideas did not fit. But this has happened with more things. In the campaign, both Laporta and Freixa had the 'Barça Corporate' to square numbers and this has disappeared from the map. Messi also had to be renewed in a barbecue_It is evident that the situation was more complex than it was wanted to explain “.
Are you optimistic that the problem of the salary limit will be solved in order to register Messi?
“100%, I am convinced. Salaries must be reduced to reduce spending. In our 100-day plan we talked about refinancing, restructuring spending with a reduction of 200 million euros in the salary bill and putting the pillars so that from next season the situation was straightened out. “
Are you worried that Messi doesn't have a contract with Barça right now?
“Not at all. I am convinced that this is done, that Messi is just as cule as any of us and that he has realized that here he will not be better than anywhere else.”
From what he has explained, it seems that he considers that the Laporta board has not been transparent enough so far.
“It's not that I miss it, but I think that we all notice it. There are many things that we still do not know: we do not know what the economic reality of the club is, what has happened with the Super League, the situation of Espai Barça … “.
Do you think all of this will be explained when the audit is finished?
“Yes, but the situation the club is in was known to all of us who had worked with the will to straighten it out. And I am convinced that Laporta and his team do too. Therefore, if details are given I suppose there will be surprising things and That will generate media attention, but the magnitude of what is the reality of the club, the hole and what it is necessary to do we have known for a long time.
What do you think about Barça remaining in the Super League today? What would you have done in the Laporta situation?
“I would have explained the reality with all the details in the most pedagogical way possible to the owners of the club, I would have made a proposal of what we believed should be done as a board of directors and then I would have asked the opinion of the members through the electronic vote of without waiting for the Assembly. Having said that, I am convinced that if Barça is still in the Super League it is because there is a very good reason that protects the interests of the club. But it has to be explained to us. “
Would you also have made a revolution at the executive level like the one that is taking place?
“Obviously there are positions of trust in which we look for talent that we considered did not exist in the club, but on the other hand a priori we also had some of the assets that in recent months and weeks have been leaving the club. But it is difficult make assessments when you do not know the reasons why these decisions have been made “.
Does the almost 17,000 votes you won in the elections encourage you to resume the 'Sí al Futur' project?
“The project does not start or stop depending on the elections, I am a Barça patient and for many years every day I think, reflect and work for the future of Barça. Barça is part of my life and it will not stop being that way “.
But will he have an active role during Laporta's tenure?
“My particular desire is to continue working as during these years, making proposals, trying to help, being available when and how necessary. I am convinced that some proposals that we have worked on, such as electronic voting, will be implemented soon. to help in the reform of the Assemblies and in other matters “.
Have you talked to Laporta recently?
“I spoke with him when he invited us to the final in Seville of the Copa del Rey, but not beyond that. My availability is absolute.”