FC Barcelona President Laporta Attacks La Liga Chief Tebas In Sensational Speech

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has attacked La Liga counterpart Javier Tebas in a sensational speech on Tuesday afternoon.

On Monday evening, Tebas said that Laporta should resign if he couldn’t explain “well” payments that the club made to the Former Vice President of the Technical Committee of Referees, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

Que t’hi jugues said that the payments totaled around €1.4mn ($1.5mn) from 2016 to 2018, while El Mundo claimed they came in at almost €7mn ($7.5mn) from 2001 to 2018 which would include Laporta’s first reign as president from 2003 to 2010.

The club denied wrongdoing in a statement. And in a special address on Monday, Laporta said that each payment is backed by “invoices and documentary and video support” for consultation services Negreira carried out.

In the most talked about part of his speech, Laporta went on the offensive against Tebas, who he accused of having a “phobia” of Barca.

“Some had already warned us that it seemed Tebas was promoting a reputational campaign against Barca and against me,” Laporta said.

“He has already taken off his mask. He continues with his obsession with Barca. With his phobia with our club. I remember that he is a person who has already shown his animosity towards Barca in his career.

“Already in 2005, as vice president of Alaves, he made a complaint because he did not want [Lionel] Messi to play for Barca,” Laporta recalled.

“He does not forgive us for not signing the agreement with CVC, which is an agreement that he controls. Nor can he stand that we are in the [European] Super League.

“It is his usual modus operandi. His intention to dominate Barca from a distance has come out, which is what he has been doing in recent years.

“He has realized that with me he cannot do that. I will not give Mr. Tebas the pleasure of ceasing to be president of Barcelona. That’s for the members to decide.”

“Whoever tries to dirty the history and image of Barcelona will receive a forceful response,” Laporta vowed.

Laporta is right to defend himself and is on the money here. In addition to clashing with him over his support for the European Super League and not signing the CVC deal, known Real Madrid fan Tebas has also blocked Gavi’s contract registration and plans to appeal it despite a court ruling.

Due to a strict La Liga salary cap, Tebas also stood in the way of Messi signing a contract renewal that led to him joining Paris Saint Germain on a free transfer in 2021.

In the same address that he demanded Laporta resign, Tebas again warned that Barça must shave €200mn ($213mn) from the wage bill ahead of 2023/2024.