Barcelona fans divided about lawsuit against Laporta

MADRID - The fans of Spanish champions Barcelona are divided about the decision to take former club president Joan Laporta to court because of his questionable book-keeping.

The decision - the first of its kind in Barca’s proud 111-year history - was taken on Saturday at the club’s annual general assembly of members by the narrow margin of 468 votes against 439, with 113 abstentions.

New Barca president Sandro Rosell - who took over from Laporta in July and immediately ordered a process of due diligence of the club’s accounts - abstained in the vote.

Laporta claimed, when handing over to Rosell in July, that the club had made a profit of 11 million euros last season. However, the assembly was told by Javier Faus, Rosell’s economic vice-president, that the due diligence process revealed an operational loss of 79.6 million euros last season - and a total club debt of 430 million euros.

Faus also revealed that Laporta had spent millions of euros on first-class travel for himself and his directors, on private security, luxury catering - and even on private detectives.

Online polls published Sunday showed the Barca fans to be divided about the lawsuit decision.

A poll taken by Catalan daily Sport shows 52 per cent of readers to be in favour and 48 per cent opposed to the lawsuit.

In contrast, a poll in Madrid sports daily Marca - which is mostly read by fans of Real Madrid - showed on Sunday that 81.1 per cent of readers think that Laporta and his directors should be taken to court.

However, it is possible that many Marca readers welcome the lawsuit because they hope that it will provoke a bitter and profound division in Real’s historic rivals, between supporters of Rosell, 46, and those of Laporta, 48.

Real are currently top of La Liga, one point ahead of Barca, who beat previous leaders Valencia 2-1 at home on Saturday. Real president Florentino Perez is determined to end Barca’s domestic domination, and the Rosell-Laporta feud might help him to do so.

Catalan dailies Mundo Deportivo and la Vanguardia on Sunday expressed their fear that this feud and the lawsuit will eventually affect the team of Pep Guardiola.

Laporta did not attend the assembly because he claimed that he would not be allowed to defend himself. He claims to be the victim of a campaign by Rosell to “denigrate his excellent presidency.”

During Laporta’s seven-year reign Barca won four Spanish leagues and two Champions Leagues. Rosell was his sporting vice-president from 2003 to 2005 but then resigned - together with several other directors - in protest against Laporta’s allegedly dictatorial styleof leadership.

Now Laporta - who will be the candidate in November’s Catalan regional elections of the small separatist party that he founded four months ago - will have to go to court to defend his book-keeping, not to mention his honour and reputation.