Full translation of Joan Laporta's open letter to Barcelona fans three years into mandate

Barcelona President Joan Laporta has penned an open letter to the fans of the club upon reaching three years in charge of the entity for the second time. Laporta emphasized unity in the face of adversity, and again pointed to the state of the club when they inherited it as a justification for their tight economy this season.

Laporta thanked and praised the employees of the club for their hard work and talent, claiming that they have recovered economically from a desperate situation due to a meticulous plan being put into action. He also highlighted that Espai Barca, the new Camp Nou and the digital transformation of the club as the drivers of the club looking into the coming years. Barcelona also secured La Liga titles in six different sports last season, the best achievement in a sporting sense.

Detractors for Laporta will point to the fact that in terms of their playing staff for the first team, arguably they have suffered more to register players than they did when they arrived, and that it seems little better than three years ago. Equally Laporta’s big election promise was that he would ensure the continuity of Lionel Messi, a promise he broke just months later. Equally, he failed to bring the great Argentine back. His handling of the Negreira case, the two managers and two sporting directors in three years, as well as the decision to sell off assets for short-term income have been other points of criticism.