Rosell: "The problem is Laporta himself"

In April of 2006, former Barcelona sports vice-president Sandro Rosell, who had left the club in June of 2005 (read more here), released the book "Benvingut al món real" (Welcome to the real world). During the promotion of the book, Rosell gave an interview to Spanish news agency EFE.


What is "Welcome to the real world"?
It's a reflection aloud. I would like to define it as a summary of my experience, that includes case studies in sports marketing and sports management. The second part, which deals with my time at Barça is, although I don't like to call it that way, the more unpleasant, dirty part.

What remains of the original project of Laporta?
From what it was at the start, only the players. Nothing else. That relation of friendship that Joan Laporta used to talk about in public wasn't real. We got to know each other many years ago because we played together at Sant Andreu, a local football team, which we left because we weren't very good players. After that we lost contact, I went to Brazil and I didn't see him again until we met at a gathering organized by Jordi Moix [barcelona board member from 2003 to 2005, who left the club the same day as rosell].

What was the trigger for your bad relationship?
I think it was all a matter of jealousy, probably caused by my presence in the media.

Laporta has transformed in a potential Núñez [barcelona president from 1978 to 2000]?
Núñez did not fool anyone, he acted the way he was. Laporta on the other hand did mislead people, because in the beginning he promised that his board would be democratic, while that wasn't the case. His way of acting changed little by little until I wasn't able to recognize him anymore. I predict that if he doesn't change, his period at Barça will end in a bad way.

Would the Laporta from the time of the 'Elefant Blau' [barcelona opposition group between 1997 and 2000 that provoked a vote of no confidence against barcelona president josep lluís núñez in 1998] submit a motion of no confidence against the current president of Barcelona?
Without any doubt. Laporta has an internal conflict, the problem is he himself. Sometimes he believes that if you keep on repeating a lie, the time will come when the other will think it's the truth. That is what has happened many times.

What are the president's merits since he took power?
The most positive thing has been his fight against the radicals. And in general I think there's no longer a division between the fans of the club, which was the case when we arrived here.

this was the first part of this 2006 interview. you can read the second and last part of the interview on this blog here, with rosell talking, among other things, about his participation in the elections and the possible transfer of thierry henry.


Read more:
Rosell writing second book
Poll result: Will Rosell be the next president?
Rosell sounding out Fernando Torres