Josep Maria Bartomeu defends his Barcelona legacy and calls for generational change: ‘We need new ideas’ | OneFootball

Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has spoken about the club’s current situation and the upcoming presidential elections, offering his perspective on the criticism directed at his time in charge.

In an interview with EFE (h/t SPORT), Bartomeu addressed the constant references to what many call the financial “legacy” he left behind at Barcelona. 

The former president has often been criticised by current president Joan Laporta, who has repeatedly described the club’s situation when he took office as extremely difficult.

Laporta has argued that Barcelona were technically bankrupt at the time and struggling to cover wages due to a huge sporting payroll.

Responding to those accusations, Bartomeu said the story surrounding his presidency has been repeated too often in recent years.

“I have heard about Bartomeu’s legacy constantly in recent years, not just during the campaign. 

“It is tiring to see how they always use it as an excuse, because they have had five and a half years to solve the problems caused by Covid, and it seems that they have not solved them completely.

“The legacy was bad, I admit, but it was caused by the pandemic. When I took over as club president, the balance sheet for my first five years showed a cumulative profit of €109 million and 13 titles.

“With the pandemic, we don’t have the stadium open, there’s no ticketing, no season tickets, the shop is closed, there’s no museum, no football schools, and that reduction in income obviously causes a cash flow problem that is solved by borrowing. 

“That’s what happened to the vast majority of clubs in Europe.”

Lionel Messi’s exit

Josep Maria Bartomeu has talked about Lionel Messi’s departure. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

The financial debate became even more intense when Barcelona announced major losses for the 2020–21 financial year, the first set of accounts published under Laporta’s leadership. 

The club reported losses of €555 million, although Bartomeu had previously suggested the figure would be closer to €225 million.

The former president pointed to the wider financial impact of the pandemic on football clubs, citing figures published by La Liga.

“The Professional Football League itself issued a report in October 2021 estimating the impact of COVID-19 on Barça’s finances at €500 million.

“The most painful one is the departure of Lionel Messi. 

“It is very sad to have to say goodbye to the best player in history, who still had a lot of football left in him with us and who would also have coincided with this generation of young players from La Masia that we have now, which has been so successful.”

Bartomeu also questioned the decision that ultimately led to Messi leaving the club, suggesting that the consequences of that move were not fully considered at the time.

“That’s the big question that many people who have been at the club are asking themselves. I don’t know why they did it, but it’s a huge own goal by this board. 

“I think that in 2021, they didn’t think about the consequences that this could have, they didn’t think about Barça, and they were naive, not knowing how the world of football works.”

Barcelona’s reputation

Bartomeu also defended the overall reputation of Barcelona during his presidency. He pointed out that in 2021, the club was ranked as the most valuable football team in the world by Forbes.

“In early 2021, Forbes magazine said that Barça was the most valuable club in the world, based on data from 2020, the year of the pandemic, for which I have been so criticised by Laporta for the disastrous legacy I supposedly left him.

“For the first time in history, Forbes said that Barça was the number one club, ahead of other clubs such as Manchester United, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

“I don’t think the work we did was so bad when we were given that award, which we no longer have.”

Presidential election

Josep Maria Bartomeu has hit back at Laporta. (Photo credit: JOSEP LAGO/AFP via Getty Images)

As the presidential election approaches, Bartomeu also commented on the current campaign between Laporta and candidate Victor Font.

“Yes, I am following it, and the truth is that I don’t see much talk about projects. There is a lot of recrimination between the two sides, and I would like to see an election campaign like the one in 2015, where projects were debated.”

Finally, Bartomeu confirmed that he will vote and believes the club may benefit from fresh leadership and new ideas moving forward.

“Yes, I will be voting. And I think Barça needs to consider a generational change.

“Sometimes, it is necessary to clean house, open the windows and let new generations with new ideas come in.

“We have had Laporta as president for five and a half years, and the economic situation has not been fully restored. 

“This last term of office has had some gaps, strange things have happened, and the members have also been told many lies, and that is not good for the health of the club,” he added.