Laporta: 'We want to break the world record for a women's football match'

Joan Laporta has again spoken to the press, this time radio station RAC1, on the show called Tu Diràs. The venue was the Camp Nou itself and the main topics of conversation included the Women’s Champions League game with Real Madrid, the future Espai Barça, the deal with Spotify and Financial Fair Play. 

Here are some of the main quotes from the FC Barcelona president. 

Camp Nou Clásico 

"We have called on all members to make use of their tickets. We want to break the world record for a women’s match. There are huge expectations because it’s a majestic venue."

"We are proud of our extraordinary players, who play football by the genuine Barça style. It’s very attractive and spectacular. They’re the best in the world and we should take note of that. They’ll be even better in front of a full stadium, and it’s great to see how excited they are and they want to beat Madrid"

Spotify deal

"We cannot give any figures because Spotify asked for it to be confidential. It’s their company policy. But it’s the biggest shirt sponsorship deal that Barça has ever had."

"We are trying to get Spotify to allow us to say a little more. If we could share the figure we could also share our joy a little more. The figures should appear in the next year’s accounts. We’d be delighted to reveal them."

"I will be asking for a vote in favour at the assembly. This is a deal associated with culture, with music. If we get a no, we’ll carry on looking for other sponsors. But I must say that this agreement opens us up to the world."

"We are looking at other kinds of sponsorship. We have six offers for the shirt sleeve and we’re deciding which is most interesting."

Work on Camp Nou 

"The schedule is for the work to begin in September. We are the first to want things to start but we are assessing the impact of the war in Ukraine. We support all the victims. We expect the stadium to be complete in 2025. I’ll do all I can to make that happen. But the war has caused us to re-assess the situation, although I hope things can stay on schedule."

"The city council supports the idea of playing at Montjuïc. It is a city project. We have more than enough time to adapt the stadium. We also need to get all the logistics right. Things have to tie in with concert schedules, so we’ll see how we can manage it all."

Barça under Xavi 

"La Liga is drawing to a close and the team works, and the coach is doing wonders. He wants to win the league more than I do. Xavi seems a very mature manager. He’s part of the family and is optimistic by nature."

"Xavi will be here as long as he wants. He is a club man and always wants the best for Barça. He loves the club and knows what our genuine style is. He’s expressed it well. I like having coaches that tie in with presidencies."

Europa League 

"It is an important trophy that we’ve never won. We hope to win it but there are some strong teams still involved. We’ll need to be at our best. The people are motivated after the good games against Napoli and Galatasaray. We’ll keep working prudently, and working our way towards the final."

Financial fair play

"All the levers we have to get the club’s finances back on course are good. But we are still waiting on the Liga criteria. This year’s accounts can fit but Fair Play goes in a different direction."

The squad

"All the players that renew their contracts or want to come to Barça will have to respect the salary levels. Our biggest signing is always the team… Barça.”