Bartomeu speaks!
His explanation has sent shockwaves throughout Catalonia and is the number 1 trending public figure in all of Spain. I'll send over the main bombshells
Bartomeu: "It was a mistake to let Messi leave. It would not have happened with me."
Are you afraid of criminal charges?
Bartomeu: "No. First, they looked at the audit, then the due diligence. They never found anything. So no, let them claim whatever lies they want to look good for failing. "
Ferran Reverted said that your board paid up to 30% of the transfer fees in commissions for certain players. Is that true?
Bartomeu: "I don't remember ever doing that. Most were between 5-10%. If they talk so much, why don't they show everybody. Who was the player? Tebas and the board all have the accounts it's a complete lie"
Bartomeu: "I'm thinking of the big deals: Dembele, Coutinho, Mascherano, De Jong, Ter Stegen, Su?rez. I don't remember ever paying up to 30% in comissions."
Bartomeu: "We did not improvise anything. We developed a strategic plan from 2015 to 2021. A few months ago, Forbes magazine said that Bar?a is the highest valued club in the world. That is not achieved through improvisation."
Bartomeu: "In 2020, we received a 150M offer for Ansu Fati from an English club. Accepting that would have balanced the accounts. But no, we rejected it because the priority was the sporting project as was the refusal to sell Messi, we resigned rather than see Messi leave"
Bartomeu: "An English club offered more than what we paid for Demb?l?, but we refused for the sporting project"
Bartomeu: "Some of the players have contracts that improved every year because our revenue also increased proportionally. La Liga's salary limit was getting higher every season, so it allowed us for more room."
Bartomeu: "I would have signed the CVC deal. I don't know the exact terms, but they are a great way to get short term income for the club."
Bartomeu: "With us, the La Masia players have exit bonuses. Whenever they decide to leave, they get a large bonus. This happened with Xavi, Iniesta, and should have happened with Leo. It encourages them to leave when the time is right"
Bartomeu: "Nobody imagined the pandemic. We always thought Bar?a would keep on growing."
Bartomeu: "Griezmann was a strategic signing. We all agreed that he could bring a lot to the team. If we paid the release clause, that means we had the money, right?"
Bartomeu: "The Neto-Cilessen and Arthur-Pjanic operations were sportingly motivated. That does not mean they had their economic benefits too. They are good players misused"
Bartomeu: "During mine and Rosell's presidency, no board member ever took money from the club. We never did anything illegal"
What do you think about the new things the board will propose in the assembly, like becoming a soci telematically?
Bartomeu: "It's nonsensical that the majority of the socis don't have an assigned seat. The priority, above all, should be to watch the team."
Bartomeu: "After Messi's renewal, some other players came to us saying 'me too, me too!"
Were journalists paid by the club to praise the board?
Bartomeu: *Laughs* "I heard about that too. I mean, some journalists work for the club, and do things with the media department. But no, I didn't pay anyone to say good things about us. I would never do that."
More to come as tgis happens live