Font and Freixa charge against Laporta in their first face to face

Víctor Font and Toni Freixa showed little disagreement in the first debate between candidates for the presidency of Barcelona, ​​which was held at the Círculo Ecuestre from the Catalan capital and was not attended by Joan Laporta, who declined the invitation.

“The demoscopy says that there is a party, there are many partners who are waiting to confront projects. I find it disrespectful that Laporta is not here because for the first time in history the vote will not last a day and there are partners who are already voting by mail“Font said.

Freixa considered that Laporta's absence “it is the consequence of a strategy that wants to create the mental frame so that it seems that it already has the elections won and achieve demobilization. “

After attacking the candidate who did not appear, the debate went into the analysis of the delicate financial situation of the club.

Font opined that “It is not true to say that the economic situation that the club is experiencing has already been experienced other times during its history “. And he added that “the current situation is unique and extraordinary.”

On the same matter, Freixa recalled that he was a member of the board of directors of Sandro Rosell who came to govern Barcelona in 2010 and then he already found himself “with more debt than billing as now, with the difference that there was no pandemic then. “.

Asked about the first thing they will do if they win the March 7 elections, Font responded quickly that “call Messi”. His argument was that, for his candidacy, “Messi is three-dimensional because he is essential from a sporting, economic and institutional point of view.”

Thus, they announced that they pretend “Offer you a life contract beyond the day you retire, which will allow that next year he charges less than this year, but that he has the visibility that this association is long-term. “

In this way, Freixa said that “Messi may be the first element of the plan that they” have “to address in the short term regarding the negotiation of player salaries.”

During the debate, the two candidates were also against the bond issue proposed by Laporta, because they consider it a risk taking into account the financial situation of the club, and they agreed that it is not a good idea to go to play temporarily at the Stadium Olímpico de Montjuïc while the Camp Nou remodeling works last.

“Whoever says about going to play at Montjuïc says it improvisedly and without having looked at it thoroughly. We want to continue with the project planned by the club and we have the funding of Goldman Sachs. We will start the works when we have the license, which we hope will be before the summer, “Freixa explained.

“It is what does not have a prepared project, that you need to say things. The agreement with Goldman Sachs, without knowing the details, makes sense. We will begin the works after the referendum to the partners,” Font advanced.

Regarding the signings, the two candidates opted to bring Manchester City center back Éric García in the summer.