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Haaland Manchester CityGetty Images
Yosua Arya

'You have no shame' - Joan Laporta blasts rival over 'debunked' Erling Haaland claim after Man City star's agent denies Barcelona talks

Barcelona
E. Haaland
LaLiga
Manchester City
Premier League

Joan Laporta has hit out at presidential rival Victor Font for claiming he could sign Erling Haaland for Barcelona. The incumbent president accused Font of lying after the Manchester City striker's representative denied any contact with the Catalan club.

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  • Election tensions boil over

    The race for the Barcelona presidency reached a breaking point on Thursday night as Laporta and Font faced off in a final, televised debate. Seeking a fourth mandate, Laporta launched a series of aggressive attacks against Font, labeling him an "inexperienced outsider" whose ideas could jeopardise the club’s current sporting momentum under Hansi Flick. He also took a jab at Font's claim that Barca could sign Haaland if he were elected president.

    Laporta stood firm on his record, defending the ongoing renovations of Camp Nou and his leadership style. He dismissed Font as a "technocrat" who is disconnected from the reality of the club, insisting that stability is paramount for the Blaugrana to continue their current trajectory.

  • Villarreal CF v FC Barcelona - LaLiga EA SportsGetty Images Sport

    The Haaland controversy

    The debate turned explosive when Font claimed he was negotiating a purchase option for Haaland for when he wants to leave City. This prompted an immediate and local rebuttal from Laporta, who referenced recent statements from the Norwegian's camp to invalidate the claim.

    “The Haaland thing is a complete lie, which has already been debunked. It’s backfired on him. You have no sense of shame,”Laporta fired back during the broadcast.

    The incumbent president leaned on recent clarifications from agent Rafaela Pimenta, who stated there had been no negotiations with Barcelona officials. Pimenta noted: "We have a lot of respect and admiration for Barcelona, but there hasn't been any contact whatsoever - with Erling Haaland or with Barcelona's management, regarding potential transfer targets."

  • A battle for the club's soul

    Beyond the transfer market, the candidates clashed over the club’s internal structure. Font attacked the influence of unofficial advisor Alejandro Echevarria and criticised sporting director Deco’s qualifications.

    “Deco is a partner of Alejandro Echevarria, which is his main qualification for being Barca’s sporting director. He replaced Johan Cruyff’s son, who left undervalued, and Mateu Alemany. What he has, he inherited. We can’t have fascists at Barcelona [referring to Echevarria].” Font alleged, targeting Echevarria's past political links.

    Laporta was quick to defend his sporting structure, arguing that Deco’s work is essential to the first team's success. He claimed that removing the current hierarchy would jeopardise coach Hansi Flick’s job security and disrupt the development of a flourishing young squad.

    “Font denies the obvious and tells lies. He’s a technocrat who works behind a computer. He wants to destroy everything we’ve built. Victor Font bases his campaign on lies. He wants to replace Deco with three people. Deco’s departure jeopardises Hansi Flick’s job security," said Laporta. "This shows a complete lack of understanding of how things work. Deco is better than Mateu Alemany [his predecessor]. Alemany knows about as much about football as me. He has built the squad, revitalised a whole generation of young players. There’s a structure in place that works.”

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    Decision day at the Camp Nou

    The club's members will head to the polls this Sunday to decide the leadership for the coming years. While Laporta remains the heavy favorite, the fallout from this debate has added a layer of uncertainty to the proceedings.

    On the pitch, Barcelona currently sit top of La Liga, having won four of their last five matches. They are now preparing to face Sevilla on Sunday, before taking on Newcastle in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie - with the first leg ending in a 1-1 draw.

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