Joan Laporta returned to Barcelona to do damage control after the club went into a freefall under Josep Maria Bartomeu. The former Barcelona president put the club in debt after spending millions of euros on expensive new signings like Ousmane Dembele, Philipe Coutinho, and Antoine Griezmann, none of them are currently with the club.
Since winning the league last season, Barcelona have been struggling this season and are in real danger of missing out on the title completely. However, Joan Laporta believes his club can still put up a real challenge in the second half of the season and win La Liga.
Joan Laporta confident Barcelona can win La Liga
Barcelona won the La Liga title last season, which was the first trophy the club won under Xavi. However, things have been very different this season, as the club’s luck has changed, and they’re now struggling in all competitions.
Although they’ve only lost two games all season, Xavi’s men lie third in the league, eight points behind league leaders Girona, who beat the Catalan giants 4-2 a few months ago to lay a serious title claim.
Most Barcelona fans now believe their title defence is effectively over, with the club also being seven points behind arch-rivals Real Madrid, whom Joan Laporta accused of gaining favors from La Liga referees in the wake of their 3-2 comeback week over Almeria last weekend.
Despite their huge disadvantage in the league in terms of points collected this season, Joan Laporta still believes Barcelona can do enough to still be in the title race in the second half of the season and maybe even retain the La Liga title.
“It will be difficult, but I believe that we will be candidates to win the league,” Joan Laporta said.
“I always agree with Xavi, I’m sure Barca will do great things in the second part of the season, and we will be there to win the league,” he added.
Fans mock Barca President Joan Laporta
Joan Laporta’s comments on his club’s chances of winning the league despite being eight points behind league leader Girona have been mocked by fans on social media as unrealistic.
Laporta and Barcelona celebrated a title-winning campaign last season when they pipped Real Madrid to the title, but the Los Blancos now look the likeliest to claim the La Liga title this season after losing just one of their 20 league games so far this season.
“People that couldn’t beat Girona are dreaming of winning the La Liga,” one Twitter user said.
“Worry about finishing top 4,” another user mockingly responded to Joan Laporta’s comments.
Barcelona will now hope loan players like Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix can step up and help the Catalan giants close the gap on Real Madrid, as a super agent recently revealed Barca’s intentions to keep both players permanently.
