Laporta, to Kounde: “I appreciate the effort to come”

• The Barcelona president welcomes the French central defender in his official presentation 

Joan Laporta has shown his gratitude to Jules Koundé for having chosen Barca despite Chelsea’s offer: “It is a highly desired signing”, he has stated about the French central defender and, addressing him, has been clear: ” I appreciate the effort What have you done to come to Barca? Welcome and thank you”, he stated at the official presentation of Kounde as a Barca player.

The Barcelona president has reiterated that “ you have waited for Barca” and explained that “the sports management has worked very well. I want to congratulate Mateu Alemany, Jordi Cruyff and his team. And Rafa Yuste has also done a good job from the board”. In the subsequent press conference, he made reference to “the representatives and the family”.

There was also a reference to the coach’s bet: “Xavi was very interested in you coming and it has been achieved, I am very satisfied that you are with us”. Laporta stressed that “we brought in a high-quality player who was highly desired by our coach. At the club we are very grateful that he has shown his interest in coming”.

He has highlighted his adaptation to Spanish football and that “we continue to make an increasingly competitive team”. In this sense, Laporta showed “optimism and confidence that we are doing everything necessary to be able to register them.”

Regarding the possible difficulties in registering players, he explained that “the club has carried out a series of operations that make us comply with the regulations. I hope they don’t hinder us from registering and that they make the same interpretation as us”.

He expressed satisfaction with the signings and left open the possibility of making some more: “ Incorporating players of the quality of Christensen, Kessié, Raphinha, Lewandowski, and Kounde is something to be satisfied with. Once you have registered, we will see if you can do any more”.

And he returned to point to those who complain about the signings of Barcelona: “ We are doing the job, which is of maximum difficulty. We see that while the levers were being activated, other clubs were talking about us, that if Barca is here or there… I’m not talking about other teams”.

With many players signed from Sevilla in recent years, the Barça president explained that “it is a team that we respect a lot and that does its job very well, it is one of the greats of Laliga”, but he refused to qualify Barca as ‘Sevilla lever’: “Let’s not frivolize with the levers. They are very complicated and you have to know a lot to do them. They were to save the club and be able to register players. Hopefully no more needs to be done.” And he announced that the operation for the sale of 25% of Barca Studios to socio.com has been carried out: “It is a sale of shares, which the Assembly authorized us to do. It is a new partner that has committed 100 million euros”.