Laporta returns to the derby meal after the previous war

Before fighting on the green for the three points in a match with a high emotional component (the premiere of Xavi Hernández and the ‘sorpasso’ parakeet as attractive), the directors of Barcelona and Espanyol will meet to celebrate the traditional food. They will do it at 2:30 p.m. at El Racó d’en Cesc located on Calle Diputación. It is an opposite moment in both entities, especially economically: With a gigantic debt and drowned by the salary limit the culé team, healthy as ever and with a good future in the coffers of the entity chaired by Chen Yansheng.

Curiously, the owner of Rastar Group will be the great absentee from the meeting. Espanyol will be represented, among others, by the director Mao Ye and the CEO, Josep Maria Durán, or the former player Joan Capdevila. While on the other side of the table, Joan Laporta, who confirmed his presence this Sunday, will be the CEO Ferran Reverter together with the vice-presidents Elena Fort and Rafa Yuste. Chapters of the past are recovered with the current president, who declared his open war with Dani Sánchez Llibre more than a decade ago.

It all started in the 2005-06 season, when Espanyol and Barcelona had approved the loan of Javier Saviola. Laporta, finally, backed down at the last moment and opted for the Argentine to go to Sevilla. Dani exploded: “Everything is a lie, a falsehood, a hypocrisy”said a Porto. Laporta spoke of “calentón” and thought that the reprimand of the perico president would not go to greater, but it did. Since then, relations have been broken.

Dani did not forget Saviola and both experienced a fiery stage in the box that also moved to the pitch, with Tamudazo in 2007 at the Camp Nou. “Dani has told me on more than one occasion that this situation is going well for him; to keep the parish happy, Perica has to do anti-Barcelonaism “Laporta explained. The war continued throughout Laporta’s tenure, but relations later recovered. Dani was no longer there, nor was the Barça president, who is now back on the scene.