Joan Laporta did not hold back. Speaking to Món Esport this week, Barcelona's newly re-elected president addressed two of the most pressing topics surrounding the club — Raphinha's injury on international duty and the future of manager Hansi Flick.
On Raphinha and FIFA
Laporta was visibly frustrated about the circumstances in which Barcelona's captain and most influential attacker suffered a right hamstring injury. Raphinha was hurt during Brazil's 2-1 friendly defeat to France in Boston — a pre-World Cup warm-up match that now costs Barcelona their most important player for five weeks, including both legs of the Champions League quarter-final against Atlético Madrid.
"In some way we should demand FIFA to make an international calendar that takes into account the competitions that the most important clubs have," Laporta told Món Esport, via Mundo Deportivo.
"It is true that in a friendly match between France and Brazil in the United States, one of our best players in the squad getting injured is very annoying."
He was equally clear that the blame cannot be placed on the player himself.
"You can't transfer the responsibility of not playing to the player either, because they are professionals and, moreover, they play for their country and give everything."
It is a position Barcelona have communicated privately for some time — that pre-tournament friendlies played thousands of miles from Europe, for clubs bearing none of the financial risk, create an unfair burden on the sport's biggest clubs. The $155,000 FIFA compensation offered for Raphinha's absence was described internally as "insufficient and bizarre." Laporta has now made the frustration public.
On Flick's Contract Renewal
Hansi Flick's contract situation has been a background topic throughout the season. The German manager has guided Barcelona to a four-point lead at the top of La Liga and a Champions League quarter-final — but his future beyond this summer has not yet been formally discussed.
Laporta confirmed this is entirely intentional, and at Flick's own request.
"At the end of the season, we will talk about it calmly. He doesn't have that need. He is a very honest man with himself and very professional. I think he has earned the renewal, but he prefers to talk about it at the end of the season, analyse the situation and decide what to do."
He added a significant detail that reveals the depth of Flick's character: "If we do one more year, he already has it. I think he has the feeling that, if he had many years of contract, someone might think that he relaxes."
In other words — Flick does not want a long-term deal because he does not want anyone, including himself, to have a reason to take his foot off the pedal. That is the mentality of a manager who is still hungry, still competing, still treating every game like it matters.
Barcelona's focus, as Laporta made clear, is on winning trophies first. The paperwork comes after.