Barcelona President Joan Laporta has taken a dim view of the recent documentary released regarding his involvement in the winding up of the Catalan club Reus. Laporta is currently embroiled in an ongoing court case where he and his business partners, all current or former members of the Barcelona board, are accused of fraud.
This week's release of "Laportagate" explains how Reus ended up in administration and how Laporta was involved. During the documentary, some of the investors in Laporta's company, who did not get their money back, claim that he offered them jobs in Barcelona in exchange for their unsuccessful investment. However, Laporta has responded with a strongly worded statement.
According to Relevo, he explained in the statement, "The documentary is full of falsehoods, half-truths, insults, and biased information that do not correspond to reality and attack my honor and that of the club I preside over, FC Barcelona." He claims that the documentary deliberately distorts the situation's reality. “The subject of this documentary is one that has already been brought up in court, where I made a statement revealing the truth about the circumstances. An aspect that has been deliberately hidden in this production, in yet another example of an attempt to influence judicial proceedings through the media and to create a state of opinion that attacks my person and my honor, as well as the good name of my family and the institution that the club’s members granted me the honor of presiding over.”
"Given the circumstances, I reserve the right to take the appropriate legal action against the authors, collaborators, and initiators of this documentary, as well as those who disseminate the facts in a manner that is slanderous and biased," the statement reads. With the court case ongoing, both sides have commented on the matter publicly, but it is not clear when a verdict will be reached. At any rate, both in and out of court, the Barcelona president has defended his innocence. Laporta has come under pressure for a number of his dealings while at Barcelona too, most prominently the recent sale of VIP seats at the renovated Camp Nou for more than €100 million.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0