Joan Laporta

shadows

Member
Laporta’s stand is to be applauded

FC Barcelona could do without the association with their radical Boixos Noix (Mad Boys). Among Barça’s most loyal supporters who travel home and away, they are causing serious concern to Barca’s hierarchy, especially the president, Joan Laporta.

Past Barca presidents have paid lip service to and even courted the Boixos. Free match tickets, seats on planes to away games and a room in the stadium to store their banners were among the privileges enjoyed by the hardcore group who stood behind the goal at the Camp Nou.

Laporta stopped all these when he was elected president in 2003. The Boixos were furious and death threats were daubed on the pavement outside his family’s apartment in Barcelona’s affluent Zona Alta. The Boixos boycotted games leaving the bizarre sight of 2,000 empty seats behind the goal for every game as Barca ascended to become champions of Europe in 2006.
A few stayed, maybe 50, caged in behind glass partitions and watched by balaclava clad police during matches as they chanted: “Barca yes, Laporta no” continuously. They still do. Given that the Camp Nou is not always the cauldron of noise portrayed by the media, everyone hears it.
 

shadows

Member
Most fans turn the other cheek, though occasionally they boo to let the remaining Boxois know that they’re not in agreement. The stay-aways watch the game in Bar Virginia, a scruffy neighbourhood haunt 200 metres from the stadium under the watchful eye of police.

Laporta hoped that the Boixos and their right wing conservative ideology would melt away. They didn’t. They continued to follow Barca away, often making up a sizeable majority of an otherwise poor travelling support. And they do not travel quietly.

The raffish collective were blamed for flare-throwing incidents during the Catalan derby at Espanyol in October when the referee was forced to halt play for almost 10 minutes and take the players off the field in the second half.

I watched them march up the hill of Montjuic for that game, 300 strong, surrounded by police and flanked by 15 riot vans as they spewed anti-Espanyol obscenities. They mimed the slitting of throats, though the few who actually spat towards rival fans were given a sharp cuff by the police.
 

shadows

Member
In Munich recently, ahead of the game with Bayern, a Barca security guard was punched in the face at the team’s hotel by a fan widely reported to be a member of the Boixos. That incident outraged Laporta, who said: “We have to talk less and act more. Either we take steps to prevent them from travelling and getting into the stadiums or we’ll see more serious incidents. We will continue to act with the same forcefulness and we will make no concessions to the aggressors.”

Laporta knows the identity of the Boixos and added: “These individuals continue to present a deplorable image that is neither that of Barcelona nor the vast majority of its fans. The majority of fans who were in Munich behaved exquisitely except these criminals who dedicate themselves only to giving a beating to lads trying to do their jobs.”
 

shadows

Member
Barca’s other ultra group couldn’t be more different. The Almogavares (named after the 14th century Catalan mercenaries who took Athens, Naples, Malta, Sardinia and Sicily) stand at the opposite end of the Camp Nou and renounce violence in favour of vocal support.

Laporta has made many mistakes, among them overseeing huge and unpopular ticket rises, but when it comes to the Boixos he’s being braver than all of his peers.

Including those at Real Madrid, who continue to court the equally reprehensible Ultras Sur.
 

jairzinho

Senior Member
I couldn`t agree more. He`s allright when things go smooth but overall he`s just not the man for the job. Just how many of original board members since his takeover are still here? Pretty much noone except for his loyal dog Txiki and I don`t wanna even get into that subject..
His choice of Pep was just to save his own ass at the time and luckily Pep exceeded expectations and is looking good so far at the helm.

Sandro will take over sooner or later


whether we like it or not, since Laporta's arrival back in 2003, we have started to enjoy the success of the late 80's and early 90's.....And he will go down in History as one of the most successful Barca presidents ever.....Apart from all the boardroom controversy in the background..., the club has risen to another level.....


Personally i believe his authoritarian style of leadership is necessary for a club as Big as Barca...we need a firm leader who knows what he is doing and is not afraid to make tough decisions...Look at the results on the pitch..!!!!


anti-madridista_13130.jpg
 

maz

I walk the line
Credit to laporta. La liga is all but in the bag. He deserves alot of credit for our ups and downs over the years, and headed the club to the place we are at now.
 

MJ BarcaFan

New member
Zqa- said:
Okay.. I wonder whatever made him so pissed... He didn't even shake hands with the Getafe pres, just hit it away from him.


Maybe the awful decisions from the ref? I don't know, just speculating.

I saw it on tv, that was not a great gesture from him, it was Baaddddd especially he threw out his hands on his way out expressing disdain. What a twat!!!! I thought the Espanyol president was the only one who can do such impropriety. Now I can say that he has no statesmanship whatsoever at all. :rolleyes:
 

maz

I walk the line
Since you must have the transcript of what was said in that moment, could you please post it MJ? Or are u just basing it on your hate of laporta?
 

Tezemery

New member
Laporta is a legend full stop the hooligans are just angry because he kicked them out (rightly so) you dont have to be violent racist or facist to be the best fan in the world, Barca's record under Laporta speaks for itself im very proud to have a man like him in charge, hes a barca legend.
 

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