Barcelona is going through an institutional crisis that deepened as a result of the pandemic and recent decisions accentuate the assumptions of a more complex panorama than expected. Faced with a difficult financial situation that worsened during 2020, this year that is about to end will go down in history for several reasons. One of them was the resignation of Josep Maria Bartomeu from the position of President and the other, much more resonant, was Lionel Messi’s request to the board of directors to want to leave the club.
While the team that leads the Dutch Ronald Koeman he is still trying to find his football course, there are several candidates who are running to lead the culé institution. On January 24 there will be elections and one of the men who will seek to become the new president of Barcelona referred to the possible future of the Catalans’ top star.
Agustí Benedito, who has already run for president on other occasions, was forceful when they asked him about a possible departure of Messi. “We all wish him to continue at Barça. He is the best player in the world. I heard Leo Messi say that he wanted to leave Barça and a decision like this is not made because he got up on his left foot. So the first thing will be for him to change his mind, because If we have to compete with another team in Europe that has gotten in between signing Messi, if the issue is economic, we will not be able to“Said the candidate in dialogue with Radio Marca.
“When I heard Neymar I said: ‘Wow, watch out for these guys’, because PSG belongs to Qatar, which is organizing the World Cup. If PSG wanted it, economically we will not be able to compete. I hope the day will come when Messi says that after 20 years at Barça he wants to continue ”, added Benedito.
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A couple of weeks ago, the Brazilian forward showed his desire to share the team with his friend Messi again. “I would like to play with Messi again, is what I love the most, to enjoy with him again on the court. I would put him in my place, I have no problem, I go out. I want to play with him again, for sure next year we have to do it, “he said. Neymar Jr after the triumph of Paris Saint Germain against Manchester United in the group stage of the Champions League.
Looking ahead to the elections at the Barcelona club, this will be the third opportunity for Benedito to appear. In previous polls, Agusti does not appear among the candidates to win: Joan Laporta and Victor Font are the names that would fight to succeed Bartomeu.
“My first electoral experience was in 1997. In 2010 there were already more than 8,000 Barça members who considered that they would have liked him to be president and in 2015 another almost 4,000. There are thousands of Barça members who repeatedly believe that I should preside over the club. It is a very important support, with a very well designed project for the club ”, explained the candidate to preside over the culé institution.
Finally, Benedito also analyzed the critical financial situation faced by a club that could lose its star figure in June 2021, which would determine more losses for the club’s economy. “Barça is experiencing a very, very, very complicated economic and financial situation. The destruction that the previous meeting has done at Barça is incredible. It is an urgent matter. I would tell you that you have to execute a crash plan. It will take three or four months to make decisions that we already have very clear and will be very important ”, he concluded.
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