Bartomeu defends himself in a letter and accuses Laporta of "Inaction"

Josep Maria Bartomeu, former president of Barcelona, today sent a letter addressed to Joan Laporta, in which he defends himself from the statements that in recent days indicated as responsible for the delicate economic situation in which the club is located.

The text is as follows:

"Dear Mr. President,

After your latest statements and those of some members of your board of directors, I am obliged to address you in order to point out certain demonstrations, clarify responsibilities and claim, as president, immediate actions against situations that are seriously affecting, byequivocal and manipulated, not only to the image of the club, but also that of the Board of Directors that I had the honor of presiding for almost seven years.

1) First of all, remind you that you requested the General Assembly of Committed Partners, held on June 20, the approval of the accounts of the 2019-20 year formulated by our Directive, under the unquestionable argument that the liquidation faithfully reflected the StateEconomic, financial and patrimonial of FC Barcelona as of June 30, 2020.

The majority approval of the 2019-20 Audit result also validates the result of the mandate from July 2010 to June 2020. A mandate initiated by the board of directors of President Sandro Rosell, with the balance of a positive patrimonial increase of 193 million,Excluding the losses caused by the Pandemia from March 14 to June 30, 2020, which, according to Royal Decree 1162/2020 of December 22, negative economic results will not be considered in the exercises affected by the COVID-19 for the purposes of computingof the guarantee.

Without subtracting these Covid losses of 97 million, although they also suppose an increase of 96 million and a net worth by the 35 million club, taking into account that we started the mandate in July 2010, with a negative assets of -60 million euros of euros.

Now it is a very different situation from the one in 2010 when the losses of 80 million (2009-10 season), gave a negative result of the mandate (2003-2010) of 47.6 million euros.These negative results were, then, a disastrous inheritance left by your Board.

For this reason, in the application of the regulations derived from the additional seventh provision of the 1992 Sports Law, it was mandatory to submit the vote to initiate a legal action of objective responsibility for the replacement ofLosses, not for our will, as interested in a bad way, if not to fulfill the law.

2) In relation to the responsibilities of my board of directors in the fiscal year 2020-21, as you know, given the surprising position of the procicat to authorize the call of the censorship vote on Sunday, November 1, 2020 at the Camp Nou, we decidedcease in office.

We did not want to put at risk of health, or in the situation of violating municipal confinement, mobility and meeting restriction, ordered by the generality government itself on Thursday, October 29, just three days before the vote, to our110,000 members and partners.

3) As a result of this cessation of our Board -on October 27, 2020 -it was impossible for us, that, until now, they have not allowed to reopen the Camp Nou and, until a few weeks ago, they have not allowed the museum to reopen, the Camp Nou Experience, La Megastore del Camp Nou and the rest of Barça Stores.We are talking about the impossibility of making 43% effective (approximately 375 million euros) of the income of the 2020-21 season.

As is known, our Board of Directors had indicated on March 21, 2021 as an electoral date, within the statutory period of final mandate, which would have allowed us, in this case, to face and assume the total liquidation of the 2020 season-21 as our desire was, executing the necessary decisions to avoid reaching the current financial situation.We would have been the only ones responsible for the closure and its consequences.Decisions that the new Board has not taken during these months, leaving its inaction.

4) As of March 14, 2020, the start of the alarm state and total closure of the club with the consequent unexpected and sudden fall of income, as was our obligation and with the maximum concern, from the first moment, our Board applied a reduction, thoroughly lost, of 12% of salaries to all players, technicians and sports professionals of the club in effect in the 2019-20 season, which served to alleviate, at least, on the one hand, that of the fall from income.

At the end of the summer of 2020, with the information advanced by the Procicat, it was agreedTourism in our city, an estimate that was foreseen from February 2021. Some forecasts that were not met and that, according to our plan, in the case of maintaining the facilities closed until June 2021, a new reduction of theSalaries, in this case of 20% (about 90 million), for the purposes of the 2020-21 season.

Our Board was no longer to assume the necessary and urgent corrections.It is a decision that only the new incoming board of directors could take, after the elections, but there was no action on his part.

5) Also as of April 2020, we started the Barça Corporate project, consistent, to summarize it, at the entrance of strategic partners up to 49% for the joint exploitation of the four commercial assets not directly linked to the income of sports competitions:

- Barça Licensing and Merchandising (BLM): Stores network for the marketing of clothing and product licenses.

- Barça Studios: The most relevant Sports Digital Innovation Center worldwide, via content, big data and audiovisual production.

- Barça Innovation Hub: Platform for impulse of scientific and technological research applied to sport and knowledge.

- Barça Academy: about 50 teaching centers worldwide, of the integral sports and values comprehensive training model.

We were able to finish in the hands of the Management Commission the Confidential Dossier and the negotiations initiated with a total of four interested societies: Blackstone, the Consortium -investindustrial, Elysian and Fanatics-, Abry Partners and Artos.I know that the Management Commission transferred the intention letters (Loi) through Goldman Sachs, but there has been no reaction from your Board about it.

In the event that your directive would have approved, it would have meant a minimum capital entrance of 220 million with the aim of reducing the losses of income from the COVID that, without fertilizers, ticketing, museum, soccer schools, shops, tours, etc.... throughout the 2020-21 season they could become about 375 million.

If to these 220 million we would have added the necessary reduction of 20% (90 million) of the players' contracts, essential from March 2021 when the most pessimistic expectations were confirmed, at this point, the salary ratio marked byThe league would be fulfilled, allowing the registration of players.

And with the possible income of 270 million by the League Agreement with CVC, today we would be talking about a level of affectation due to the losses of almost null covid'19.

We also leave on the table, logically subject to the approval of the members and partners, the entrance of FC Barcelona in the Pull of Clubs promoting the Super League that would have meant a net entrance of 350 million during the month of May 2021. to theOnce, it meant a growth in the football market where clubs, like ours, that we are not sadsocial co -ownership that the Barcelona players enjoy.

6) It is clear, then, that our Board of Directors was fully responsible for the sports planning of the 2020-21 season (the templates were closed in early October), but, in no case, we could execute the plans and economic actionsplanned.As has been demonstrated, it was absolutely necessary to take measures due to the possible increase in the impact of the pandemic in the form of an exceptional income of income and the inevitable reduction of the salary mass, which could have applied your joint.In this sense, and before our said resignation, we begin and constitute the labor negotiation table to face the terrible impact that Covid was having on the club.

The lack of reaction and action of its Board of Directors is surprising to improve this balance of the 2020-21 season, despite being perfectly aware of the economic and financial situation of our club, long before winning the elections, when the Management Commission, in several meetings, all candidates were exposed.

He also surprises his decision to forgive 16.5 million to the former Neymar player in the framework of a litigation where the expectations in favor of FC Barcelona were quite clear and the auditor did not force, in any case, to supply any amount.Why did you make this decision contrary to the interests of the club?

7) I will not be the one who denies or does not admit that the situation of FC Barcelona, due to the pandemic was and is complex and of enormous difficulty, especially derived from a salary mass, which we lead to the limits allowed by the League, forTry to prolong and maintain for 13 years the best football team in history and be able to compete with the Premier League teams and other club-states with practically inexhaustible resources.

It was necessary to match the increasingly high offers for our franchise players.This objective has meant a colossal and continued effort to increase income.An effort that, on the other hand, has led us to be recognized by the prestigious Economic Magazine Forbes as the most valuable club in the world in 2020 and by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) as the best team of the decade of the decade2011-2020, merit attributable to all people who before and after our passage through FC Barcelona have worked and will continue working to maintain this excellence.

8) In the patrimonial field and in the fulfillment of the mandate granted by the partners in Referendum (2014), we also congratulate ourselves of the excellent news that supposes for FC Barcelona, the dismissal of the few allegations raised against Espai Barça -approved byAll the Plenary groups of the Barcelona City Council (except the CUP) - which means the final green light and without macula for the processing of the works licenses.Also of the possible continuity of the financing plan with Goldman Sachs of an absolutely necessary and urgent club project that has already begun with the construction of the Johan Cruyff Stadium and the demolition of the Miniestadi.In short, the approval of the modification of the General Metropolitan Plan (MPGM) has been a five -year work and a series of urban and neighborhood agreements, all validated by the Barcelona City Council.

9) In conclusion, serve this communication to make clear the following points:

-The General Assembly of Compromisarios Partners of June 20, with your favorable vote request, approved the accounts of the 2019-20 season with benefits of our mandate (2010-2020) of 96 million (193 million without COVID19) andA positive net worth of 35 million.

- We always work conscious and fulfilling the salary ratio of the League and the limit of the UEFA Financial Fair to continue being competitive in front of the Premier League and the clubs, against which we are clearly at a disadvantage.

- As a direct consequence of our cessation, caused by the intransigence of the procicat, we could not apply the economic and financial measures (Barça Corporate, Salary Mass Reduction, Possible Bonus of the Super LeMillions of revenue reduction due to the impact of the COVID, measures that your new board would have had to apply.

- Our Board, which ceased on October 27, 2020, is not, in any case, responsible for the economic and financial liquidation of exercise 2020-21.

- Surprise the announced losses of 487 million compared to a revenue reduction of 375 million.All partners and partners should be explained in detail.I hope it is not as in 2003, when we try to supply as losses the accounting value of the pending amortization of certain players.Remember that it was not a decision then admitted by the Provincial Court of Barcelona.

- Yes we have, instead, full sports responsibility as a result of planning all sections of FC Barcelona, with quite good sports results, especially satisfied with the quarry contributions.

- We left approved and validated fully, by the Barcelona City Council, Espai Barça.

10) Finally, I ask you publicly, and as soon as possible, the detailed results of the Audit and / or Due Diligence and, if any, the precise information, to all the partners and partners of the irregularities that, allegedly, you indicate, to avoid speculation and suspicions about "allegedly criminal" actions and, also, so that interested and biased leaks are avoided in the media.

In the event of finding indications of irregular actions that, of course I have not ordered or known, I promise to be the first to adopt the relevant legal measures to clarify them, and, if necessary, punish these illicit assumptions.

My will in this regard remains the same, to offer the members and partners maximum transparency.

Cordially, Josep Maria Bartomeu "