Joan Laporta launches ‘Defensem el Barça’ campaign ahead of Barcelona elections | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are currently undergoing a period of significant change as the electoral process intensifies, with the presidential elections scheduled for March.

Thus, there is a lot of political activity at the club, and one such event that took place on Monday was Joan Laporta designating his electoral headquarters and launching his party’s official slogan, i.e., ‘Defensem el Barça’ (Let’s defend Barça).

At the event, as reported by Mundo Deportivo, Laporta did not limit himself to politics and also addressed the club’s current sporting situation, particularly refereeing controversies. He expressed full support for coach Hansi Flick and praised the character of the team.

“We defend Barça to enjoy sporting success. We have a human treasure in the Barça locker room, with homegrown players united with players from other parts of the world, functioning thanks to Flick and Deco.”

“Right now, we’ve had a heavy schedule playing Sunday and Wednesday, and it’s normal to have a low moment. And when we have that low moment, others take advantage. For example, Koundé being stepped on… We will reverse the situation and reconnect with our football. I spoke with them, and they are very focused.”

He recalled the club’s recent successes to reinforce his belief in Barça’s ability to win the league again:

“In five years, we have won three Cups, two Leagues, and three Supercups. The last three finals we’ve won against Madrid. And that feels really good! That’s why I’m convinced we will win the League.”

Laporta also addressed external pressures and perceived injustices affecting the team, highlighting inconsistent use of technology in matches and challenges from opposing power circles:

“We defend Barça from those who never rest, power circles that try to corner it, who do not want us to represent what we represent. And from those who, at certain moments on the pitch, don’t do what they should. It doesn’t make sense that now, with so much technological support, it’s sometimes used and sometimes not. Whenever they can, they hinder us. There are groups that never rest.”

He framed his candidacy as a continuation of building Barça into a leading sports institution while calling on members to remain engaged and proud:

“This is the proposal I lead to build and advance Barça as the best sports institution in the world. I call on all members to continue defending Barça in the coming years, with the strength of our history, our badge, our essence, and to do it with pride, feeling, emotion, joy, loving and defending Barça.”

Joan Laporta explained the importance of continuity and careful decision-making in maintaining the club’s progress:

“Defending Barça is loving Barça. We are better than five years ago in all parameters. In this campaign, we will detail our continuity project, analyzing what needs improvement. I feel very proud of the work done. What has been achieved hasn’t been a miracle; it’s the result of daily work and brave decisions made by prepared people.”

He emphasized that Barça’s growth has relied on institutional stability and the support of its members:

“This growth has been due to institutional stability, which is achieved thanks to the members. To keep growing, experience, leadership, and stability are necessary. Because defending Barça means growing, and for that, we will continue the actions we started in these five years.”

Joan Laporta directed a message to the opposition, warning against inexperienced leadership that could harm the club:

“Barça is not a company. We defend that Barça does not fall into the hands of people who, due to a lack of experience, could make what happened in recent times happen again. We cannot allow it to return to ruin. We must be smart because those who don’t want us to succeed are smart too.”

“Reversing this situation hasn’t been easy; painful decisions had to be made. But Barça has been reborn; it is a unique club, a deep feeling that unites us and gives us great strength.”

He concluded the event by encouraging fair elections and emphasizing the role of members in shaping the club’s future: