Interview with Laporta: Talk about Yamal, signings, star and Camp Nou transformation

is in full swing in the summer transfer window, and Club Barcelona is facing challenges on multiple fronts.

Earlier this week, Chairman Laporta accepted an exclusive interview with The World Sports.

In the interview, the Barcelona helmsman talked about all aspects such as signings, youth training talents, the club's relationship with UEFA and the renovation of Spotify Camp Nou Stadium.

About the transfer: At the beginning of the interview, Laporta confirmed that the club has achieved its main transfer goals this summer.

"Yes, these two positions are exactly what we want to strengthen. Valdej joined, and the football department has high expectations for him. But basically, yes, the planned signings are a goalkeeper and a striker," he said.

Barcelona Chairman gave a detailed introduction to Garcia's signing process, emphasizing that this originated from the tactical prospects of Deco and his team.

"Signing Joan Garcia is the outstanding vision of Deco and his entire team, as our previous concerns about Ter Stegen unfortunately became a reality - he has not yet fully recovered," Laporta pointed out.

"We are closely watching his recovery progress, waiting to see if he needs surgery or choose a more conservative recovery program. We will be fully supporting him. But this complicates the goalkeeper position and we feel we need a player like Joan Garcia," he added.

"This is a good deal in every aspect. It is difficult and more expensive to find a goalkeeper of his level in the open market. The opportunity has emerged, Deco has been paying attention to him, and Joan Garcia has long been on our target list."

At the same time, in the discussion of the failure to sign Nico Williams, Laporta refuted the statement that La Liga might help Athletic Bilbao stop the winger from joining Barcelona.

"No, La Liga has not favored Athletic Bilbao. I'm not sure if Bilbao is trying to stop the transfer, and although I speculate they did, they are not the reason for the failure of the transfer. Nico did not refuse to join, either," he stressed.

"The problem is the conditions offered by the other party, which we cannot accept. I respect this, but I would like to congratulate Deco and his team on successfully signing Rashford as a replacement. I also thank all the other players who expressed interest in coming here to play."

Terstegen's ongoing back injury problem was also mentioned. Laporta made it clear that the decision of the competition lies with the head coach, but also admitted that the competition for the goalkeeper position is very fierce.

"It is true that we signed a very good goalkeeper with only one position. It is up to the head coach. Mark Andre (Terstegen) is important, he is the captain and has brought us a lot of joy, but after a knee injury, his lumbar problem worsened," the chairman said.

"Whether surgery is his decision, but it does create a situation that makes the coaching staff think the goalkeeper position needs to be strengthened."

Laporta also defended Ter Stegen's attitude during this difficult period:

"No, he just recovered from an injury, and the same part was problematic. It's very uncomfortable for the player. It's like starting over. We fully understand and stand by him from beginning to end."

About Yamal:

When talking about Yamal, Laporta was full of praise both at the professional and personal level.

"Honestly, no, I didn't worry about the offer to him before the holiday. He has received important offers in the past. But we have no intention of selling it. He is from La Macia, has a lot of affection for this jersey, and besides being talented, he is also a very good guy," he said.

"He is unique, very personality, and I'm very happy that he's been with us and is so devoted. He leads the team and brings magic to the locker room. He's only 18 years old, but he's mature. His agent, his family and Barcelona are working together to help him succeed."

"In my opinion, he's the best player in the world at this position today. Naturally, many clubs want him, but he's grown up here and loves the club deeply."

For the recent media discussions surrounding Lamin's 18th birthday party, Laporta expressed his support for the young man:

"It was a private party, Lamin now It was also understood that everything he did would be looked at. It was a celebration, and to be honest, what I regretted was not attending. It looked like a great party - elegant, interesting, with friends, internet celebrities, artists..."

"It was completely private, and he trained hard as ever after he returned to the training ground. There was nothing to criticize - on the contrary, I congratulated him on and was glad he had a good time. "

Regarding the relationship with UEFA:

Talking about Barcelona's relationship with UEFA and a recent fine that eventually dropped from 60 million euros to 15 million euros, Laporta explained the root of the disagreement.

"This stems from the so-called 'leverage'. These were accepted by La Liga in the 2022-23 season, but UEFA views differently. For UEFA, these revenues are not 'unconventional income' - they are regarded as ordinary income," he noted.

"This classification leads to book losses, which triggers sanctions under UEFA rules. Our argument is that Barcelona is a non-profit membership association. It is a unique legal structure, rooted in our community and is also a place we are very proud of."

In commending UEFA President Alexander Cheferin, Laporta added: "Alexander Cheferin has a special sensitivity to football and understands the difference between membership clubs and corporate entities."

He continued: "While other (clubs) can solve financial gaps through capital increase, Barcelona cannot. UEFA understands our explanation and the improved financial management we have since helped to mitigate penalties.. ”

"I have known Cheferin for many years - he is very capable and understands football. He is working hard to keep European football top. ”

Laporta also confirmed that UEFA and the European Super League (European Super League) have entered a new stage of dialogue.

"European Super League has caused controversy, but I have been trying to build a bridge. Now, UEFA is in discussions with Bernd Reichart and the legal team of the European Super League,” he said.

"A preliminary agreement is forming in three areas - the most progressing is the digital platform. This is a positive step. Barcelona supports these conversations, and we believe it will benefit football. ”

" A recent ruling from the European Court of Justice supported the position of the European Super League, but more importantly, the unity of the football community. Cheferin is open and capable, and that is exactly where we strive. ”

Regarding Barcelona's current position between UEFA and the European Super League, Laporta said that the club's views are consistent.

"We want an open, results-based competition. We want a more sustainable and profitable model. Governance remains an open question, but this may be resolved through the European Club Association (ECA)," Laporta said.

He added: "We have never sought conflict - just for the advancement of European football. The new UEFA Champions League system has increased revenue by 20%. Everything can evolve. UEFA is open to improvements, and if this platform generates the revenue we expect, it will be beneficial to football. Both sides are opening up and we are getting closer to reaching an agreement. ”

He expressed optimism that Barcelona might eventually rejoin the ECA Executive Committee led by Nasser Algelefi.

"We are here to help, find solutions and implement them. This responsibility is won, not taken. You can only obtain it when others recognize your value. ”

Commenting on Real Madrid's view on Barcelona's mediation role between UEFA and the European Super League, Laporta said that the two clubs have a consistent position:

"We have discussed this matter within the European Super League group. Maybe we're dealing with UEFA more smoothly because we're less confrontational, but we're in harmony. We all hope to reach an agreement that satisfies all parties. ”

About Missing the Club World Cup:

Laporta expressed a complicated mood for the Club World Cup that Barcelona failed to participate.

"This is a non-calendar event that the players were thinking about taking a vacation after the season. I hope we can participate, and we will probably win the championship. But not participating means our players will get more rest. Nevertheless, I am unhappy with our exclusion,” he said.

"I expressed this to the FIFA president. Based on our history, Barcelona should have been included. Some teams that have obtained wild cards do not have our historical background. We accepted it in a sportsmanship, but our participation will add more excitement. ”

He hinted that future events may change in the way the team was selected.

"We are now qualifying (by the rules). This time we missed it because we did not perform well in European competitions in the past few years. The event is not particularly profitable at the moment," the Barcelona president pointed out.

"Based on what I have heard, I doubt whether the investors will invest again. But the final game was great—the competition was fierce, and there were more fans in the stands,” he concluded.