Joan Laporta: Barcelona board must resign

Laporta lost the 2015 presidential election to Josep Maria Bartomeu – in the wake of the Catalans winning the treble – and held the position at the club between 2003 and 2010.

"If [the board] resigned now, I'd definitely stand [for election]," Laporta told The Guardian.

"The problem is [the current board's mandate] ends in 2021. If they went now, I'd stand. But if they continue for three, four years, I don't think so.

"We all have our moment. Right now, it's still fresh to me, but if it goes on longer, I'd like a candidate I can look at and think: 'Yes, this is the one.' Renewal's always necessary. I'd like someone with clear ideas, a model I can share, a person I can trust.

"We left them [Rosell, Bartomeu] the greatest Barca in the club's history and they spent their time destroying it. Barcelona has been kidnapped. It's hostage to the intoxication, manipulation and lies [of this board] and it's sad.

“I'm demanding they resign. If they had any shame they'd resign; if they had any shame, they'd have gone when they did a deal with the public prosecutor to make the club, not them, liable in the Neymar case."

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