Real sign Camavinga

Although it admittedly wasn't much, I really liked what I saw from him last year. He looked really self-assured for such a young player too.

Any idea if you've managed to insert any kind of buyback or first refusal clause?

comment by it'sonlyagame (U6426)
posted 7 minutes ago
Although it admittedly wasn't much, I really liked what I saw from him last year. He looked really self-assured for such a young player too.

Any idea if you've managed to insert any kind of buyback or first refusal clause?


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Surprised a club like Chelsea didn't take a chance. Think he could turn out to be a star if he keeps developing as he is. Can't understand why we are looking at or signing older free transfer players on high wages and letting our talented youngsters go. We have some really good young players who can do a job for us!

You do still have quite a few of them though. Apparently that kid who made his debut at the weekend -name escapes me right now- also looks very promising.


From what I hear, a lot of culés are pretty upset at the lack of opportunities Koeman gives Riqui. What's going on there? Is it personal, do you think, or something about the kid's game or application that Koeman doesn't like?

This could get even worse for Barça. Fabrizio Romano reckons you've shown an interest in Luuk de Jong

Barca really have been ran by absolute amateurs. Coutinho Dembele Greizmann have bankrupted them and none of them have been any good. 😂😂😂

comment by Glazers_Out (SE85) (U21241)
posted 14 minutes ago
Barca really have been ran by absolute amateurs. Coutinho Dembele Greizmann have bankrupted them and none of them have been any good. 😂😂😂
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It started about twenty years ago when presidents Gaspart and Reyna after him bought really terrible players - To be fair, it started with Nuñez a couple of years before when he was pressured to invest heavily in Van Gaal. We got in three quarters of the Dutch national team and sold off our prized Catalan players and put the club in debt. The buy big and sell cheap cycle started there.

Laporta saved us when he came in the first time. He bought in Rijkaard, got lucky in buying Ronaldinho, convinced Edgar Davids to sign for the club for much less than he was worth and financially steadied the club. Appointing Pep in 2008 was a masterstroke - Messi's emergence and a very successful period in Barça history.

The shame is that Laporta was hounded out by Rosell who accused Laporta of basically hiding money and stealing - and was subsequently found guilty of illegally pocketing money by using the club for his own financial gain (misappropriation of funds) and financially mismanaging the club.

But worse was to follow, Bartomeu came in, Barça lost loads of cash. Bartomeu was accused of tax fraud and even hired a public relations company to improve his image while spreading lies about any players or potential presidential candidates who opposed him.

Laporta returned this year and has found that the club's financial state is much worse than originally thought - 1bn€ in debt. We have lost Messi, Griezmann and got players lowering wages and playing with a team which is mediocre and ageing.

A sad state of affairs.

Laporta struck gold with Guardiola, but he was also a massive stroke of luck. Appointing a club legend and local lad was just about the last card Laporta had left to play to appease the fans after surviving the confidence vote by the skin of his teeth. Imagine if it had been Mourinho's schidt-on-a-stick instead Laporta would've been gone before Christmas.

comment by it'sonlyagame (U6426)
posted 2 minutes ago
Laporta struck gold with Guardiola, but he was also a massive stroke of luck. Appointing a club legend and local lad was just about the last card Laporta had left to play to appease the fans after surviving the confidence vote by the skin of his teeth. Imagine if it had been Mourinho's schidt-on-a-stick instead Laporta would've been gone before Christmas.
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Yes, but we have to remember the severe financial pressure Laporta was under and the political lies he was facing from his presidential opposition. It was Rijkaard's last two seasons which were unsuccessful but by then, Laporta had turned the club around Barça had some great players like Deco, Eto'o and Marques.

You are right about Guardiola. Laporta came exceptionally close to bringing in Mourinho - Guardiola himself recommending him for the job, but Laporta wanted a Catalan, a Barça supporter. It was his vision. Credit to him for that.

I have to agree on how he turned the club's fortunes around early on. You're right about the players, and Rijkaard's early success, and it's also very important to remember that he brought change, and with it an enthusiasm among the fans that latter-day Nuñez and Gaspart had drained away.

I do remember in those days though that it was Rosell who was almost universally credited for the Ronaldinho signing. Whether that was actual fact or just his own PR machine pushing that narrative, I don't really know.

As a side note, Florentino also played a small part by gift-wrapping Eto'o for you.

By political lies, do you mean the links to the Franco foundation? Wasn't that a close relative or one of his top directors? I don't really remember what all that was about, but yeah I do remember there was some kind of smear campaign that the Madrid media unsurprisingly jumped upon.

I do remember that airport incident where he created a scene by stripping down to his underwear at a security check. Didn't he claim to be the victim of some form of state persecution, or some such? I always felt that was pretty undignified for the figurehead of such an important institution.

my contribution to this discussion

Is laporta still pumping girls young enough to be his daughter ?