Joan Laporta is already involved in quite a few messes to be asked to ensure fair treatment for the club's oldest members/owners.
But the truth is that what should be a top priority for the president has been forgotten in the trunk of memories. Something as simple as treating the oldest members well has become, under Laporta's administration, something like a mission impossible.
The club's owners are sidelined by the problems of a Camp Nou that doesn't meet deadlines. With unattainable financial fair play. Or with registrations that can't be fulfilled.
The gray matter of the offices is leaving Barça
The gray matter that Joan Laporta gathered upon his arrival at the club has been disappearing. They've left in a hurry.
The economic vice president, the CEO, the general manager, the operations director... They've fled in terror.
Meanwhile, Joan Laporta runs the club amid the applause of his yes-men, who are unable to question a single one of his decisions. Although there's no money, there's never a shortage for a visit to Botafumeiro or Via Veneto. It's about enjoying the best years of their lives at the member's expense.
The member, who pays the bill, is then ignored in an unacceptable way. Laporta doesn'thing to prevent it.
A tradition that Laporta has broken
It's a custom and tradition at FC Barcelona that when a member reaches 25 years of membership, the club gives them a token of recognition. In this case, a silver medal and a diploma as a reward for their loyalty.
The first vice president is in charge of this at a meeting convened for all members who find themselves in that situation that year.
When it's 50 years of membership, the president personally invites the members. In a touching ceremony, personally gives them the gold badge and the certificate.
That's how it was with Josep Lluis Núñez, with Joan Gaspart, with Enric Reyna. Also in Joan Laporta's first term, with Sandro Rosell and with Josep Maria Bartomeu.
It's always been that way. Always until now. Because now everything is delayed at FC Barcelona under Joan Laporta.
Lack of respect for the member
Presumably out of apathy. Because if it's due to a lack of budget for the gold badges, that would be truly alarming.
The members who reached 50 years of membership in 2023 are still waiting for the club to invite them. They're owners of FC Barcelona but the club has forgotten about them. The same goes for those of 2024 and 2025.
The club reports that they're "behind schedule," that in 2024 the badges corresponding to 2022 were handed out. The pandemic is to blame.
In 2025, those from 2023 will be handed out, although there is no news on the matter with almost eight months of the year gone by.
If they're unable to organize something as simple as this with a minimum of common sense, what will they do with more complex matters that require preparation and knowledge?
They're the same owners who feed and give them drink
It's just an anecdote with no further consequence, but a painful one. Very telling of what's happening at the club.
We're talking about elderly members who shouldn't be toyed with. They're being robbed of the excitement of the reward for their loyalty to the club by indefinitely delaying an event they dream of and aren't sure they'll ever get to attend.
But Laporta and his entourage can't do any better. The member must wait. That's how the president treats the club's oldest owners, who feed and also give him drink at the most elite restaurants.
It's hard to imagine Florentino Pérez doing the same with Real Madrid's owners.
"You've grown old with Barça and, thanks to you, Barça has become great. You're an example for the new generations of Barcelona fans who will keep growing with Barça and with the new Camp Nou, which will be the best stadium in the world."
These are Joan Laporta's words at the last badge ceremony. Pure empty talk.