BARCELONA – Josep Maria Minguella, vice-president of sports in Emili Rousaud’s pre-candidacy in the elections for the presidency of Barcelona, announced on Wednesday that if his project is the most voted by members, the club in the January 24 elections will be able to work on signing to Erling Haaland, he will be “very much” on Kylian Mbappe, will ensure the permanence of Lionel Messi and will regenerate a club that, he said, is going through a critical moment.
The former veteran representative of the player proclaimed the need to hire a sports director “with extensive experience”, questioning the ability of Xavi or Jordi Cruyff, was not so strong in the return of Neymar and warned about the opportunity to postpone the elections for the current state of health due to the coronavirus pandemic.
If Rousaud wins the election and becomes president, “I will take responsibility for the sporting problem, which is the key to the club’s rebirth,” said Minguella, who supported Rousaud’s project, warning that in the current situation, Barcelona can only take it forward. good manager, who knows how to interpret a balance sheet well, who doesn’t have to go with buses that sell stories, but who knows what it means to start a company from scratch, to have a turnover of over 500 million euros, to you have profits, to stay in Catalonia when others have gone to tax havens … These values are what I want to preside over Barça. That’s why I want to help Rousaud, because I want to help Barça. “
“Messi’s problem is very simple. Leo is delighted with Barcelona,” said the leader, who warned that the Argentine “like any elite athlete always wants to win. He went from winning the Champions League, the Leagues … to not win nothing and continue with the mentality of continuing to win.What we will offer him, football, will put him in the first place and he will be happy to continue here.It is a matter of being credible that Barça has a great team again and if he doesn’t see it that way, he will leave because he will have first-rate offers “, he said.
Minguella denounced that in recent years “there has not been a sports director with the necessary level for the club. Players of all conditions have been signed without a definite criterion … Every time a plane arrives from Brazil, a player disembarks from there. they are not even presented, others disappear … This must be completely cleaned and this can only be done by a sports director who is a true professional ”.
For this reason, he announced that in his project “we will have someone who knows how to look for players who can renew this team with little money and return the illusion. I have not seen anyone talk about a viable and realistic project … This candidacy has a world-class sports project that will return the club’s current unfortunate sporting situation in a short time ”.
In this regard, he confirmed that he has three proposals on the table. “We have three high-level people with a current contract that can’t be said now because you have to be very discreet and not filter anything,” he said, to the detriment of Xavi’s arrival: “I think it’s great, it was a excellent player, but from my point of view I prefer someone with a lot of experience. I have nothing against him, who is in Qatar, or against Jordi Cruyff, who has been in China … but this job at a club like Barça requires a lot of experience because 700 million euros cannot be put in the hands of anyone he was a very good footballer on the field, but he hasn’t started working on this facet yet. If it’s about putting a great name, I think it’s very good … and we’ll see in a few years “.
As for their names as cracks, Minguella did not knock around the bush and claimed to be in control of Haaland, in addition to saying that she did not forget Mbappé. “Haaland? I talked to Raiola and I have all the details about what can happen if Rousaud is president. I know the conditions, although I have already told Raiola that we will not use it as an electoral weapon. I only told him that the next day after the elections they will call you personally “, he announced.
It was clear with Mbappé as well. “His name was on the table after Neymar left, when he was still in Monaco, in the middle of the dissolution of his team, and he was very feasible. He was at the table of Barça managers and decided to sign Dembélé. moment they understood that it is better for the team. It was a shame and I have already denounced it “, he said, assuming that in the future I will return after him.
“If we win the election, Mbappé will be on the table again, we will be very much above him and, in fact, we have already made moves, although it is a complicated issue, because the Arabs are involved and also Real Madrid … But no one doubts that we will be there. “
He was less strong when he referred to Neymar: “With Neymar you have to wait and see what happens. When he is a sports director, he will be seen. Now he cannot be signed, if he is free from here for a year, the director “If he says yes, well, if he says no, then he would find another.”
However, Minguella emphasized that Barça “need to know how to go after players in this category when they are not so well known. When Salzburg or Monaco sign them, not when they are already up. This is the ideal job for a manager. “sportsman and that’s why he has to be a very expert person. To sign a player for 120 million euros I don’t need a sports director, I can use a financier to put the money.”
And he remembered a closer case. “Lautaro played for Racing de Avellaneda, who won the championship and was the top scorer … And Barça noticed him when he was already at Inter Milan and he was worth 100 million. That’s why they need expert people to find this class of players at the moment. “
Faced with the impending winter market, Rousaud’s bastard surprised by assuring that he is making “arrangements with funds to agree on long-term financing. If we win the election, we have already talked to possible sports directors of two names, other than expensive and improve the current team. The priority is a defender and a striker and at the end of January we could have them, at no immediate cost to the club. We have everything ready. “
“I would be happy to incorporate Rexach into the Barça structure. Here everyone is talking about cruyffismo … but Rexach, in addition to being a character always linked to Barça who was fired four days ago, has always been linked to the club “Since he was old. And he was the one who said yes to Messi. When there were so many doubts at the club, the one who played a role with his signature was Rexach,” he said, also recalling that Rexach “knows a lot about football and was wasted by the club. Guardiola, Tito … Many are his products because, for example, he told Cruyff about Guardiola when Milla left for Madrid.”
Similarly, he announced that he is in talks for the recovery of Hristo Stoichkov. “He has a television contract in the United States and I will not be able to confirm it until January 26, but he has an offer on the table to join the club when Emili is president as a key figure in the club’s relations with organizations such as UEFA, FIFA , FEF, League … “.
Finally, Minguella surprised by resolving that the coronavirus pandemic would advise not to hold the planned elections. “Maybe what should be done is to postpone them. It is more important to win the pandemic than to win elections. If they had common sense, they would be postponed … Maybe the best thing would be to wait for the candidates to He accepts everyone and makes the elections. As we are, which is more important? People’s lives or the Barça elections? A meeting could take place for six months and then we will see, “he agreed.