Bartomeu: ‘Messi in a class of his own’

FC Barcelona president ​​Josep Maria Bartomeu spoke to El Transistor, a radio show on Onda Cero, this Monday about a number of important matters.

The proper names that came up included Leo Messi and Ernesto Valverde, but he also responded to questions about the club’s record revenue and the possibility of a league fixture being played in Miami, among other hot topics.

Here are some of the standout quotes from the interview:

Messi and awards

"I was surprised that Messi is not one of the candidates for The Best, he won the Golden Shoe and the league and cup double. He should win every individual honour because he is the best. But never mind, Messi doesn’t compete for The Best, he has in own special category for the best in the world. They must think that he doesn’t count because otherwise they’d always have to give him the award.”

Record income

"I can announce that the 2018-2019 budget will produce record revenue, which means we’ll be able to raise the wage bill.”

Valverde’s contract

"I would like Valverde to stay. He’s a club coach. I like the way he deals with us and the players. We’ll sit down and talk because he has the option to stay for another season. When we first spoke we knew he’d be a success and we are very happy with the way things have gone. He was always our first choice.”

Game in Miami

"I don’t know if Girona v Barça will be played in Miami. La Liga’s proposals seemed like a good idea to us to promote the league, we have to get closer to the fans and find new sources of income. But it’s not my decision. Our CEO, Oscar Grau, spoke to the captains the other day, together with Pep Segura, and told them where the club stands on this. We are competing for money with the Premier League and increased revenue would be good for the smaller clubs too. But unless there is agreement, we won’t be going to Miami ".