Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has spoken to RMC radio about the possibility of the
Barca playing in Ligue 1 if Catalonia were to be granted independence.
"I doubt that UEFA and FIFA would oppose Barcelona competing in France, based on the Monaco case", he pointed out.
"We'd have to see whether La Liga decided they didn't want Barça. If that happened, they could play in foreign leagues. It's not impossible that, in an independent Catalonia, Barça could play in France or another country", the 53-year-old said, echoing the words of French prime minister, Manuel Valls.
"But I don't think Barça would leave La Liga. It's in La Liga's interests and the 'Clásico' is a valuable asset. Those who make the decision need to do it wisely and consider the common good", he added.
"Barça are very important in Catalonia and the majority of Catalans support the club. That's because it's a national team. I would be very happy if the moment came when Barça had to decide, because that would mean that Catalonia was independent", Laporta continued.
Asked about Catalan players such as Gerard Piqué lining up as part of the Spain team, Laporta said:
"They are professionals. I'm sure Piqué would rather play for Catalonia, but I fully understand the situation the players are in since they don't have much choice at the moment".
0 comments:
Post a Comment