37 responses so far ↓

• Titi186 // May 9, 2008 at 15:24

  Nic, I appreciate your stance and I agree although Laporta has made mistakes he should be given, along with the new coach, a couple of seasons to get things right. After all, under Laporta Barca has won 2 La Liga titles and a Champions Leaugue - not bad.

  To be honest I wish in England we had something similar. Arsenal, my engliash team, are on a barren run and I beleive the board is to blame but even though I follow them accross the world from Manchester to Milan, from Everton to Emirates, I have NO power whatsoever. It is the most frustrating feeling in the world when you know you put so much into the club yet your opinion is only heard by the guys sitting either side of you in the stand.

  Barca is truely more than a club with the way they do things, its more like a goverment lol!!

• Youssef Gazia // May 9, 2008 at 15:38

  Barca would be the best club in the world without its impateint, unappreciating and very unloyal fans. Simple as that.

• John // May 9, 2008 at 15:58

  Nic.. i could not disagree with you more!

  Many Barca fans are very unhappy with the decisons Laporta has made of late. I have heard there is talk of a protest against Laporta where fans will be encouraged to wave black hankerchiefs at the game on sunday.

  If the motion suceeds as a soci I will vote against Laporta.

• FCB // May 9, 2008 at 16:10

  John—- typical barca fan

• Liam // May 9, 2008 at 16:11

  Laporta should leave, he is like cancer. People complain about Rijkaards last 2 years, well, Joan has been terrible for 3 years, talking about politics and making barca fans feel unwanted cuz they aint catalan, making his friends board members or responsible of club sections, scandals such as the one at the airport, just to mention some.

  Ever since Rosell left the board, they have signed crappy players at ridiculous prices and the football section hasnt been the same.

  Handball….. from best team in the world to 2nd or 3rd in ASOBAL.

  Basketball, from Final Four and League champions to “contenders”.

  So… please Mr Laporta, quit and help the club u claim to love.

• steve // May 9, 2008 at 16:25

  rosell for presidente. Rosell for preseidente

• Andrew // May 9, 2008 at 16:35

  Hey everybody I have a question…I’ve only recently gotten into football (such is the curse of the U.S.) and Barca but haven’t followed the club since before Laporta was president. Has this ever happened before and been successful? If so then did the club do better afterwards or was there even more instability?

• John // May 9, 2008 at 17:41

  FCB - I want the club to have a long term plan that puts the club on the path to long term and sustatined success.

  The decsion to appoint Guardiola will not do that.. in my opinion he should have been promoted to No2 with a new coach brought in to replace Rijkaard.

  I believe that Mourinho would have bought the level of professionalism and experience required to set up the foundations that would make Barca a juggernaut and when the time came Guardiola could have picked up the reigns.

  Laporta has balanced the finances and should be applauded for that, but the decsions being made at moment will not ensure the long term development of the club..

  Some of Liams comments I found quite telling and have heard similar comments from others..

• FCB // May 9, 2008 at 18:50

  they won champions league and the league 2 consecutive seasons with laporta, y was that?? i bet u now every1 will change their minds and say “that was all rijkaard”…just cuz rijkaard is leaving, now its time to attack laporta…when laporta leaves, time to attack messi….just be satisfied for once. always complaining

• #12 // May 9, 2008 at 19:32

  Ifeel that a rational, loyal, and realistic barca supporter like myself can’t make comments anymore, because for every rational and positive comment I make there will always be two or three replies by disgraceful supporters who fail to see the big picture and would rather jump on the media bandwagon and cause disrupt in the club instead of looking ahead to bigger and better things

• Mike // May 9, 2008 at 19:43

  There’s plenty to blame Rijkaard for, he lost control, the results on the field were miserable and players want out. Laporta or Rijkaard? Might be a worthy poll question.
  http://startingeleven.blogspot.com/2008/05/which-players-follow-rijkaard-out.html

• Liam // May 9, 2008 at 20:43

  Barcelona won those trophies with signings made by Rosell (except Etoo who was Laportas doing), ever since he left Txiki has done a terrible job signing players, its unbelivable they went for Henry instead of Ribery (similar players but one is 6 years older), brought in Guddy, Ezquerro, Thuram, Zambrotta and paid tons for them (well, Ezquerro was a free signing).

  Laporta did help the club finances, but he made it by selling stuff he promised he wouldnt… so…. does the end justifies the means? I think not.

  FCB, im new to this forum, but ive always complained about Laporta, he did good the first 2 years when he kept his mouth shut, but after that, we all got to see his secret agenda, how he bashed anything that had to do with Spain despite Barca playing in that league and having players and fans from that country, stood up for players like Oleguer, who havent done a single thing for the club except causing trouble, hand picked board members cuz they were relatives or friends, fired the ones that were close to Rosell, forced players to learn catalan and in global meetings spoke in it even though millions of fans dont understand it, acted like a bloody brat at an airport, etc.

  Rijkaard era had ups and downs, but in the past 2 years he has done nothing, if Barca had played the same way they did and lost all those trophies, nobody would complain, thing is, they havent despite having one of the best squads in the world and one of the best the club has ever had. Players did as they wanted, Ronaldinho skipped trainning sessions, Marquez kept visiting his lady every now and then even if it affected his performance, Etoo and his big mouth created tons of problems, Edmilson saying there were players that didnt act like professionals, Deco falling apart on second halves and getting fined for driving drunk, etc and what did he do? NOTHING, no fines, no suspensions, he lost control and never got it back.

  Some fans seem to think that past seasons justify poor performances others dont., If we used that logic, Cruijff would still be our manager, cuz nobody has won more than him, and Nuñez would be president since he is the most succesful one… When things go wrong, change is needed and if people dont ask for it, it wont come.

• Joe Henry // May 9, 2008 at 20:49

  If I could vote I will vote for Laporta !

• Jordi-FCB // May 9, 2008 at 22:53

  Liam lad you listen here we are a Catalan club! for one if you went to games espacilly away our fans even chant “PUTA ESPANYA!” Laporta has never made any Spanish supporters un-welcome, I for one have met Laporta and I spoke with him in Catalan and explained I was English he was the nicest man you could meet and I’m being honest he was a really nice lad. I myself feel Catalunya should be independent and such comments like we’re a nation between Spain and France I am proud of! What you are seeming to forget is that FCB is what it is today because of Catalunya and the hugh link between Catalan Nationalism and Culture with in the club. In the begining just a club but through out the years espacilly during the years of Franco we represented a nation and we still do! We’ve always had a Catalan nationalists in the presidents seat dateing back much before Josep Sunyol! Obviously you don’t understand we are not a Spainsh club, board members and players a like should learn Catalan because in the Autonomous nation of Catalunya the offical language of Catalunya is not Spainsh it is CATALAN!!! According to our state of autonomy Catalunya alongside Basque, Galicia and Andalusia are described as nationalities and Els Segadors is described as the national anthem along with the national flag not the regional flag, a self-goverment!!! The use of the Catalan language is becomeing more and more popular by the day, kids are taught in Catalan at school’s in Catalunya!!! To be honest if board members don’t want to speak Catalan and don’t want to assosiate themselfs with Barca’s Catalanism then they can piss off for all I care. Why do FCB go on tours around the world to promote the club, not just in Catalunya but through out Asia because it does not matter where you come from. TANT SE VAL D’ON VENIM!

• Liam // May 10, 2008 at 0:40

  1. Those “fans” that chant “Puta Espanya” are retarded, just as the ones that make monkey noises when black players are on the pitch.

  2. I know tons of people in Spain that are “cules hasta la medula” that feel unwanted, as said before, it shows terrible manners to speak in catalan during fan meetings, specially considering fans base is 60%+ not catalan.

  3. Saying Catalunya is a country between Spain and France, putting Valencia, Mallorca, Catalunya and Andorra together in a flag and claiming those are the catalan states is the dumbest thing ever. Why, cuz they are not (unless we forget about 500+ years of history), cuz in Catalunya there are tons of residents who aint catalan, cuz there are tons of catalans who feel they are spaniards and because its an insult to all the spanish Barcelona fans, so YES, as said in number 2, it makes spaniards feel unwanted.

  4. During Francos dictatorship, despite what most people say, Catalunya and FCB had way more privileges than Euzkadi and their clubs (for example), so all this “Franco making it impossible for catalans” aint accurate. He helped and allowed Barcelona sell Les Corts, without this financial aid Barcelona wouldnt have Camp Nou nor be the club we all know.

  5. Dunno if all those regions should be independent, dont know that much history to back that up, all I say is that people that compare their situation to the one Eire had are wrong and that politicizing a club is the biggest mistake Laporta has made.

  6. Sure FCB represents Catalunya and their culture, but them being in Spain and playing in the spanish league is as important as all this, if they didnt, the biggest rivalry football knows wouldnt exist, i doubt that the likes of Suarez, Herrerita, Velasco, Pereda, Reina, Alexanko, Carrasco, Valverde, Alonso, Abelardo, Amor, Bakero, Beguiristain, Salinas, Luis Enrique, Eusebio, Zubizarreta and now Iniesta (just to mention some) would have played for a team playing in the Catalan League vs clubs such as Sabadell, Tarragona, Girona; all those titles from Copa del Generalisimo and then Copa del Rey that allowed them to play european competitions and let the people know about the club wouldnt be there nor all the economical power Barca has (how are they supposed to get good money when they play in a second rate league? so this means no big names, low salaries, etc)… so to me, playing in Spain isnt as bad as they want us to think, it actually helps Barcelona be the club it is.

  7. Catalan is becoming popular? well, im being told different, theyve told me kids are forced to learn it even if they dont want to, that products and shops tag everything in catalan, english etc but not spanish, that merchants are fined if they dont tag them this way… so, i dont really think they are learning it cuz they want… cant c any free will there. Also as an erasmus student, i met more than 100+ lads/lasses that didnt apply to Barcelona universities cuz they were asked to learn catalan and what they wanted was spanish.

• layi // May 10, 2008 at 0:42

  this is wrong….appointing guardiola is a big enough change but it seems they want to turn the club upside down…i hope fans ignore him…i have good hopes for next season…

  I’m FOR LAPORTA….some people don’t know how easy it is for a club to be drowned

• morzzan // May 10, 2008 at 7:31

  I agree that Guardiola is too big a risk that is being taken. I agree he is a catalan in and out and that he was a Barca legend, but I still feel its too big a risk to take. He still does not have the credentials to manage such a team in a top league, let alone, a team filled with super stars with varying egos.
  Looking at the current situation where the team is under heavy pressure to perform, this will just add pressure onto Pep as fans will want his team to clone the Barca in 05-06 season and the one before that. Another thing I feel is that if Barca fail to win the first 10 games of next season, we might see more white handkerchiefs and consequently, a sack of the coach. The last thing we need to see after this is the Madrid syndrome: the lack of a proper coach ie. Though not Rijkaard, Laporta should have appointed someone who has more coaching experience than, well.. pep. If not the current vote of no confidence against Laporta, then the event of Barca not living upto the exptectations next season under pep will surely end his presidency. I am not Catalan so I cannot judge or comment about the entire Laporta-Catalan issue discussed by Liam and Jordi, but as far as football is concerned, whether it was his signings or not, Laporta has had a wonderful reign as president. He made the best players in the world play in the blue and red stripe shirt, which should be acclaimed as quiet an achievement.
  Stability is the key, as mentioned by someone earlier, say they should have had Benitez (surely he would have come considering he is hating his time in England) or someone at the helm and had Pep be the second manager. This would allow Pep to have considerable experience and also take the helm 2 years down the line.
  So to sum it up, its lunacy to put an inexperienced manager at the helm of such a big club as Barcelona. If the results fail to come, it will just lead to instability and consequently changes of managing staff. On the other hand, if Pep is a huge success, Laporta for president?!!!

• John // May 10, 2008 at 7:58

  Jordi - You are right Barca is a Catalan club and anyone who supports the club must accept that.

  The reason for my supporting Barca was due to me meeting and living with a Catalan woman. On many visits to BCN, meeting her family of all whom were members and season ticket holders. I gained an appreciation of what the club means to many of the people of Catalunya and also the clubs history and traditions, this history and these traditions are what attracted me to Barca. A club owned by the members, that it is a democratic institution
  That does not have a sponsor on its shirt. That is why Barca is “more than a club”.

  Whenever I travel to BCN to see games I always go for a couple of beers before the game and have never felt people do not want me there because I am not Catalan. The response I get from fellow fans that live in and around BCN that I have just come London for the game is always great, they are pleased to hear about an English guy who is a soci and comes all that way to see a game.

  At the Penya in London where I am a member, the people cannot be more welcoming and have made many good friends.

  As member I feel I get treated equally, for example I submitted my application for tickets for Old Trafford and the draw was carried out fairly and I got a ticket for the game.

  These are just my experiences and have never been made to feel unwelcome; I do accept that the club is Catalan and respect that a great deal.

  But I still think Laporta has to go

  For anyone who wants to read a great book on the history of Barca, read Barca - A Peoples Passion by Jimmy Burns. Jimmy is a FT journalist a great writer and fellow member of Penya Blaugrana Londres.

• azulgrana // May 10, 2008 at 8:25

  To John and others who think Laporta should leave:
  Just jump on the next bandwagon that comes your way. Next thing we know you guys will be complaining about how bad Giralt is, and how good you had it with Laporta.

  Nic: The problem with “democracy” in soccer is that too many people are followers and can’t think for themselves. They are just swayed by popular opinion or the press. The press creates conflict, and too many aren’t secure enough or can’t think for themselves in putting things in perspective. They just follow whatever everyone else is saying. Tell me this, if Ronaldinho wasn’t Cruyff’s public enemy #1 and the press didn’t have all these articles about him, would we be talking about selling Ronaldinho. How many free kick chances did we have around the box against ManU? Ronaldinho would have made a diff. But the press and fans were too busy making life hell for him, saying he was faking injury and whatever. I can see why he isn’t motivated to play for barca. Right now, I don’t know if i would be with the negativity that is surrounding the club.

  I don’t remember anyone crying about Laporta’s decisions last summer. All we heard was about the 4 fantasticos, a new defensive mid, right back, and center back. People were saying how barca’s transfers were much better than madrids, blah blah blah.

  Now all of a sudden it backfires, and you guys try to find anyone and everyone to blame. FCB is right — first blame Ronaldinho, then Rijkaard, now Laporta, then what — Messi?

  I am a barca fan, but I can see why players like Figo showed no loyalty to barca. Because the second the have a dip in form or are “dedicated enough” its time to sell them, get rid of them.

  Even though barca has great fans, there are still too many that are idiots. Just shut up, cheer your team on, and support them. Who the hell whistles their own team twenty minutes into a game with the scored tied? Maybe the same fans that want to get rid of the people who have transformed barca into what is today.

  Last thing, if we keep up how we react and treat players and managers, they will turn their backs on the club, and new players will think twice about coming to barca. You think c. ronaldo or even Fabregas would come to barca over madrid? i’m not so sure, if we keep up our antics.

• azulgrana // May 10, 2008 at 8:54

  Liam: who the hell cares about about basketball or handball? Sure we want those teams to do well, but let’s stick to what is bothering all the fans, football.

  I am not from catalonia, but lets be honest, barca is a catalan club. We fans support that catalan club and so we need to support its values and traditions. Barca will not change its trandtions from 1899 because all of sudden there are more fans from other cultures. The club doesn’t necessarily need to adapt to its new fans, its the other way around.

  Lets not get Machiavellian and talk about the end justifying the means and what not. You say change is needed, but change also brings instability…ask Valencia’s fans.

  You say “Ronaldinho skipped trainning sessions, Marquez kept visiting his lady every now and then even if it affected his performance, Etoo and his big mouth created tons of problems” as some of your complaints.

  marquez visiting his lady? what? can we read a little more gossip today?

  Eto’o made one outburst (even though it was big), but if you look at clubs around the world it happens from time to time. yes, he was wrong…but tons of problems? I don’t know about that. Also, you could say that that incident showed how united the club was in that everything was dealt with internally by players like Puyol and no fines need to be made. A fine wouldn’t help comaraderie. But maybe the newpapers you were reading didn’t talk about how the squad grew from that incident, or that everything got patched up.

  As for Ronaldinho skipping training last season, well maybe, but didn’t he also carry barca last year without eto’o, messi, and deco for large parts of the campaign. He single handedly put us in the champions league knockout with his performance against Werder Bremen. It wasn’t until that liverpool tie that marca put the image of ronaldinho shirtless, that fans started saying ronaldinhos fat, etc, etc.

  I wonder when barca fans will realize that the press and people like cruyff are only hurting the team. The more you listen to them, the more you will be disappointed.

• BARCA 4 LYF // May 10, 2008 at 10:53

  http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=690806

• Dr.Osmo // May 10, 2008 at 11:48

  Who will replace Guardiola ??

• Jesus // May 10, 2008 at 13:28

  We need to kick out La Porta because 2 seasons without any trophy is un acceptable for a team that has 3 of the words best players (Ronaldinho, Henry, and Eto) Also the problems that are happening in the locker rooms is evidence of of the inexperience of our great coach Frank Rijkard at handling Big names. Laporta feels that by appointing Guardiola as coach he will fix the problems however that seems crazy because Guardiola has less experience than Rijkard. SIMPLY, THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON WE NEED TO KICK OUT LAPORTA IS SO WE CAN BRING IN JOSE MOURINHO. The special one is the only one who can deliver us trophys and continue our great history in football.

• Barca Fan_Miki // May 10, 2008 at 16:59

  Laporta is a good president and he shuold stay.If i cuold vote i will vote for him he didn’t made to much mistakes i think.

• Jordi-FCB // May 10, 2008 at 17:10

  John thats 100% corrcet you’re in the same situation as I’m in, I’m a soci from England and I go over to games and other Cules love the fact that we’re English and still come to see Barca. We’ve got a couple going over for the Gamper in the summer if you’re over tell me. the more cules the better!

  Liam what you fail to understand is we are a Catalan club! We are not Spanish at all and most members would be discussted to hear what you’ve been writeing. 60% of Cules are not Catalan but how many Cules are socis how are Catalan, how many cules that go to games who are Catalan? Like I say Liam I go to games and I meet with other Cules who are Spanish, Catalan, English, Scottish, French, African and everybody accepts the fact we are a multi-national club but the thing which all these Cules know is that we are a Catalan multi-national club! You try and take away the Catalanism in FCB and you take away the club, we are Mes que un club because we represent a whole nation!

• Liam // May 10, 2008 at 17:25

  Azulgrana:

  Not my prob u only follow the football team, but trust me, people are pissed cuz basketball and handball aint doing good. Barca has 150k + members, but not all of them are there cuz of the footie section, so…. yeah, people do CARE about OTHER sections.

  Yes, Barcelona is a catalan club, never said it wasnt, but as said before, Catalunya has been part of Spain for over 500 years so… that makes Barca spanish aswell.

  What traditions are u talking about? do u really think that back in 1899 Gamper and other founders thought Barca would become a political platform? That they founded the club cuz it represented Catalunya? NO, they founded it cuz they wanted to play football and there was no team in the city! It was founded by swiss, english and spaniards, and trust me, there was no clause that said “catalan has to be spoken”, FFS even the name was in english!!

  After spanish Civil war FCB did become a platform, not a political one but one that spoke for cultural freedom and diversity, those values are the ones that Barcelona promoted around the world, not “catalunya is a country between Spain and France” nor “players have to learn catalan”… would be silly to do so…. u would be doing exactly the same that Franco was doing, impossing stuff.

  As said before, Barca wouldnt be what we know if they didnt play in Liga, simple as that, if u trully believe that Camp Nou would be at its max capacity when Barca played Sabadell, Terrassa, Tarragona, Girona, Espanyol, or that they would have signed players like Kubala, Suarez, Cruijff, Neeskens, Maradona, Shuster, Romario, Stoitchkov…. if they were hardcore nationalists ur totally crazy.

  Ronaldinho has been terrible for the past 2 seasons, even before he “carried” the team till Liverpool eliminated us, that season all he did was score, he wasnt anywhere near the footballer we have seen in the previous years. Why, he hasnt been trainning, simple as that, he has no form, no speed, he cant dribble, etc.

  Marquez hasnt been the same since…. yeah, he met the mexican model! coincidence, no, all that is tiring for anyone, and if ur a football player it makes it worse cuz ur body doesnt gets enough rest and muscular injuries start becoming a pain, just like it happened to him.

  Etoo only had one outburst? Saying that if he was Etoodinho he would be Worlds best player isnt one? that if the team gets another trophyless season he will leave aint other? the kid has a big mouth, and he would be long time gone if he wasnt Laportas child, how was he gonna let Samu leave when he signed him and the cameroonian always stood up for him?

  If players want to learn catalan, awesome, but if they dont, let them be. If u really want them to, simple, do as Athletic the Bilbao who only play basque and only play catalans, like that, u assure everyone is into Catalunyas culture.

  U say Cruijff is hurting Barca…. yet he is Laportas biggest advisor…. u really dont make any sense in here

  Finally, to me FCB is a club that promotes diversity not one that imposses a culture, it is a sports club not a political platform, its a sports club that entertains people and unites them not makes them feels unwanted.

• Jordi // May 10, 2008 at 22:32

  When the f*ck did I say Cruyff was hurting FCB I love Cruyff he’s my hero!

  FCB were not established to be put onto the political platform like I’ve said before and FCB is a Catalan spelling not a f*cking English spelling unless it would be BFC. We are 100% Catalan not Spanish if you want to support a Spanish go ahead and support Madrid!

• Jordi-FCB // May 11, 2008 at 0:55

  “Catalunya has been part of Spain for over 500 years so… that makes Barca spanish aswell.”

  Catalunya was an independent country until the 11th of September 1714! So lad 300 years of occupation not 500! If Spanish fans support a Catalan club and don’t speak Catalan well tough! They can learn. If Barca had 60% English speaking fans would you think it was ignorent for them not to speak in English?

  We are a Catalan club in Catalunya where in Catalunya the national language is Catalan, then whats the problem of speaking Catalan??? Being a soci of Barca is part of a Catalans idenity as a Catalan!

  Lad tell me this have you ever even been to a game at Camp Nou or away?

• Liam // May 11, 2008 at 4:24

  AZULGRANA SAID:

  “I wonder when barca fans will realize that the press and people like cruyff are only hurting the team”

  So…. Jordi didnt u c that my post was a reply to azulgrana or ur the same person and screwed up?, anyway see how u make no sense?, u say ur tolerant and that u dont make people feel unwanted but when someone says Barcelona is a spanish club (which it is, for Liga, Uefa, FIFA and all the football associations despite whatever u say) u go mad and tell people to f*ck off and support other club.

  Also, u really need to check Barcelonas history, cuz it seems like u dont know much about it. Their first name was Football Club Barcelona so yes, it had an english style name.

  Catalunya was an independent country? hehehe, u really need history classes, since spanish history is one of my majors ill give u some valuable info:

  First of all it was never a country it was a county; Second, since 1100s it was part of the Aragons crown (which had many countys and allowed them to have their own laws and parliaments), but when Ferdinand married Isabelle everything started changing till Spain fully became a modern state and not a feudal one!; Thrid, Occupation…. funny u say it is an occupation but u fail to point out that one of the regions that benefited the most from Spains colonies in America and protectionist policies was Catalunya…. hell it made them one of Spains centres of industralization! so please, explain me, how on earth do u benefit a territory that its being “occupied” instead of taking away all u can as they used to in those centuries?…. please, dont make up stuff!

  The official languages in Catalunya are 2, spanish and catalan so dont try to fool me, I know the law in Spain and most countries in the EU

  Being a soci of Barca is part of a catalans identity…. so if ur a member of RCD Espanyol u lack this identity? …… *rolls eyes*.

  Theres nothing wrong with speaking catalan but it is when the guys ur talking to dont understand it and u dont care about it despite being the clubs president and knowing ur in a spanish meeting of “penyas”, its like if i started talking to u in russian despite me knowing there are 95% of chances that u dont know it, shows terrible manners and no consideration.

  If Laporta is in a meeting with english fans he should speak in english (since he knows the language), if he is in a meeting with spanish fans he should speak spanish (since he knows the language) if he was with turks, he can speak any of the languages he knows (catalan, spanish and english), wont ask him to speak in turkish cuz he obviously cant; as said before, he is president of one of the most important clubs in the world (most important in my eyes) so he needs to act like one and manners are required, if someone asks u something in a language u know and u answer back in another one it just shows u have no respect for them.

  Ive prolly been to more Barca games than u (home and away) and spent more time in Barcelona, also i know that tons of people dont speak catalan in there and use spanish as their native language, actually, where u get to hear more catalan is in the suburbs or lil towns not in Barcelona and considering that only like 45% people speak catalan (despite them being locals) I fail to understand why players and staff are forced to learn catalan when its obvious spanish will be way more usefull… if they were to spend the rest of their lives there, I agree with people learning it… but if not… can u explain me why should they? actually, let me rephrase it, why are they FORCED? the way I see it is that if u want to get to know a culture u dont need to be forced u do it cuz u like/want it.

  FC Barcelona is used as a battle horse between both regions (Madrid and Catalunya) but this doesnt means it really is, sure the club has helped people know more about Catalunya and its traditions, but it is also a place where tons of different cultures are mixed and where tolerance and respect are one of the most important values, and sorry but u and many other fans seem to have forgotten about this just as the clubs president has.

  Finally U can support Barcelona without being catalan aswell as u can support Valencia, Osasuna, Racing or Madrid despite being one, u dont lose ur identity cuz u support a or b, so why do u people insist in making it vital for someone who wants Catalunyas independence to say a football club represents that sentiment when it obviously doesnt …. Puyol, Xavi, Fabregas, just to mention some, have always been proud of wearing Spains strip, never said no to their national team… so how come people inside the club and that are way more into it than us dont have this hatred for anything that has to do with Spain? to me its obvious, cuz the club doesnt represents that despite some people wanting it to.

• Jordi // May 11, 2008 at 15:34

  Lad right you don’t know what you’re talking about players are not forced to speak Catalan they are asked to speak Catalan. As quoted from Laporta “We would like for all players and staff to make an effort to speak Catalan” We should people who are Catalan and support a Catalan club have to listen to what our club says in a forien language.

  L’ única lluita que es perd és la que s’abandona !!!!
  Visca Catalunya Lliure!

• Liam // May 11, 2008 at 16:04

  So making them attend classes even though they didnt want them aint forcing them?…. ok

• Jordi // May 11, 2008 at 16:49

  Whens that ever happened this is quoteing from Laporta!

• azulgrana // May 11, 2008 at 19:28

  Liam you whine so much. You are more upset about politics and language then you are abou the clubs performance. If fans want Laporta out it should be because they want to win, not for political reasons or b/c players have to learn catalan, etc.

  I know Cruyff is one of Laporta’s biggest advisor. However, I think half the things Cruyff says is garbage and thats why half the things he says are ignored by Laporta. You think its a coincidence that Ajax hired him, he recommended Van Basten, and the Van Basten told Cruyff that he didn’t need him? I am not saying everything Cruyff says hurts the team (but a lot does), the difference is Laporta listens and filters out. Fans like you Liam seem to just believe in everything he says. If Cruyff had his way he would have sold ronaldinho even before we won the champions league. In fact Cruyff would never have bought Ronnie.

  As for Ronaldinho…last “season all he did was score, he wasnt anywhere near the footballer we have seen in the previous years.” I agree, but ask anyone who knows about soccer. Soccer twenty something goals, being the teams leading soccer without Messi and Eto’o, is carrying the team. Then again can he be the same player he was with the help he had around him. The only real player that was there to support Ronnie all season was Iniesta.

  I don’t know if you have ever played soccer at all, but having a staring lineup of Gudjohnsen, Guily, and Ronaldinho, and Ronaldinho scoring as much as he did last year, there is no luck in that.

• Liam // May 11, 2008 at 20:57

  Exactly, there is no luck in that (being the best striker when playing by Giulys and Guddys side), , did I ever said there was? NO… so whats so exciting about him scoring all those goals (do u recall how many came from plays??)

  Ronaldinho scored but didnt perform, simple as that. Goals only hid his poor form.

  Ive played football (soccer??? wtf) and i know that if someone with Ronaldinhos skill only scores but cant dribble, pass nor assist theres something wrong (his role in the team is playmaking not putting the ball in the net, goals are only a plus to what he can offer).

  Lmao, u support Laporta but u dont support Cruijff…. theres a filter…. u really believe this? Rijkaard signing for Barcelona, Marco van Basten being one of the candidates before he got an offer from Ajax,Guardiola in, Txiki being there…. smells like Johan to me..

  Since I support Rosell I dont really think that any of what u said is true (me believing everything he says etc). Sandro brought in Ronaldinho and would have signed Scolari instead of Rijkaard since he always said that he didnt understand why Barca had this thing for buying and hiring dutchs when they had won nothing while brazilians had.

  Cruijff was a great player and manager, wont deny it, but atm he is one of many who should be pointed at as guilty of Barcelona falling apart.

  Finally, if u read all my posts u would know that politics came in cuz I said that Laportas first 2 years were great cuz he had his mouth shut and after he started politicizing the club everything went terrible, so no, Im not interested in politics and thats why I hate and cant stand Joan cuz instead of thinking of Barca as what it is he used it as his personal political platform, and because of this everyone in the club lost focus and bad results came in, so, please, before calling me stuff or saying Im x or y, READ carefully

• Jordi-FCB // May 12, 2008 at 0:10

  What are you talking about Laporta being very political, its our club, our tritidions. There will always be Cules at games with Senyera’s. Like I say before it’s our clubs history as a symbol of Catalunya and Catalan Nationalism. Send Oriol Giralt you’re signature for this stupid vote of no confidence which will fail! So what if Laporta is political we live in a democratic society so he can say what the hell he wants, if you don’t want to hear the truth then don’t bother listening to him

• Liam // May 12, 2008 at 5:06

  Personatges com en Joan Laporta fan molt de mal a la imatge del Barça.. I qui digui el contrari és que té pa a l’ul. Laporta ja ha deixat ben clar desde fa temps que és tot un personatge que presideix el Barça per omplir-se la butxaca, i no per al club. Laporta ja fa temps que ha perdut els papers…

  Sandro presentat i guanya. Ja n’hem tingut massa de presidents autoritaris, prepotents i de baix nivell. Necessitem un senyor.

  Should I make it any clearer? ROSELL 4 PRESIDENT!

• Jordi-FCB // May 13, 2008 at 0:31

  Personatges com Laporta son gran perquè té els colors al seu cor. no volem necessitem el millor que hi ha Joan Laporta! Avui Culés no és lleial i oblidi les grans coses que Laporta ha fet com 2 títols de Lliga i la copa d’Europa! les finances! Un millor Camp Nou i més segur estadi! Rosell és un tirar i un fill de puta! Laporta fins al mort!

  It’s always the ones you expect can’t give you an anserw and they do, I’m glad you can speak Catalan but lad you’ve got to admit we are a Catalan club! You’re the only person other than myself called Liam I know of that supports FCB! LAPORTA HASTA LA MUERTE!!!!

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