Bartomeu: 'Despite the vote of censure, the club will keep going'

Josep Maria Bartomeu spoke to Barça TV and TV3 before the Joan Gamper Trophy game with Elche, saying that “this club won’t stop despite the vote of censure. We will continue to work on day-to-day matters at the club. We have a lot of work to do before October 5, when an unusual transfer market closes. The club is doing everything it has to do regarding the vote of censure procedure. We now have ten days to constitute the Vote of Censure Board and to validate all the votes, always observing the utmost transparency.”

After admitting that he was surprised how many people have backed the vote of censure, he added that “we clearly respect everyone’s freedom, and the members are the owners of this club. As a board we have to keep working, and when the count is complete, we will make a board to analyse this together. Right now, none of us are thinking about resigning.”

On other issues he said:

The Gamper Trophy

“It’s a different kind of Gamper. The pandemic means we can’t have fans in the Camp Nou. Today is the day we present the team, the day we start the season. We are starting later than other teams, but are doing so with a very promising project.”

“We had to save the Gamper. We couldn’t not play it, not even with the pandemic. It has been a strange preseason, with fewer practice games than usual.”

Ronald Koeman

“He is a highly renowned coach and also a Barça icon. We have a very big squad, with a lot of very good players. Some are back from loan, others we signed in January… It is a very competitive squad and they all want to play.”

“The board has full faith in Ronald Koeman, Ramon Planes and the rest of the coaching staff.”

Leo Messi

“He’s our captain and the leader of the team. We have seen him on the pitch and he is fully focused on Koeman’s plans. His matter has been set aside and everything that needs to be said has been said.”

“We could not allow Messi to leave the club. He is the best player ever and we wanted him to stay with us. As president, I shall not enter any public dispute with our captain. These are things to talk about in private. We should all be happy that Messi is staying with us.”

Possible signings

“If Barça need to, we have the resources to buy. But we have always said that before we can buy players, others have to go. We have been looking at possible places for players to go.”

“A few days ago I said that Barça, like all others clubs, has lost revenue because of the pandemic. We have no fans in the stadium, or in the store, or in the museum. We have to adapt and that means reducing wages.”

Luis Suárez

“Right now he is a Barça player. I can say no more. He is one of the most important players we have ever had and he is still contracted to Barça”