By Alex Molina / info@eurohoops.net
It’s unusual for Joan Laporta to speak about Barça basketball, so if the Barça president does comment on a topic, it has to be something important.
And there’s no more relevant topic in the global basketball ecosystem than the NBA’s arrival in Europe.
The best league in the world will come to the old continent sooner or later, and Barça and the city of Barcelona have always been one of the most important partnerships.
During the Vanguardia Forums, Joan Laporta spoke about Barça’s short- and medium-term future, in which the EuroLeague will continue to be the continental competition the team plays in… until the NBA arrives.
“The license expires in June 2026. They’ve proposed a ten-year renewal. Clubs that don’t renew lose the rights they acquired as founding members, and Barça is one of the founding members. We’re trying to make Euroleague understand that Barça is important within this competition, and they understand that. Our proposal is that we will renew, but we need to have some flexibility in case the NBA’s proposal is better or comes to fruition”.
Unlike in football, where the relationship is at its worst point in recent years, it seems that Barça and Madrid will find common ground in basketball.
“The NBA wants to establish a European division. It seems very attractive. Basketball, like Barça, Real Madrid, and many other clubs, operates at a loss, and they’re making us proposals that guarantee fixed income far exceeding what we’re currently earning. But they’re also asking to manage the Palau Blaugrana or even build it themselves. However, for us, relinquishing the management of Palau is difficult… They want a franchise in every major European city, including Barcelona. This is a privilege, and as a 126-year-old club, something to consider. Any competition in the world that includes Barça and Real Madrid is a competition that works. If this rivalry didn’t exist, we’d have to create it.”
Room for new signings?
The Barcelona president was also asked about the signing of Xavi Pascual and potential additions to the Barça squad, which would only happen if a certain condition is met.
“This is a delicate matter. We have a limit, and right now we’re slightly below it… We’re very happy that Xavi, at a somewhat difficult time, has accepted the job. He’s an excellent coach who also has Barça in his blood. We’ve already spoken with Xavi about a three-year project, and he’ll be able to shape it to his liking. The time for investment might not be now, but at the end of the season. In principle, nothing is planned. We already told him that no new signings were planned. But it’s also true that, if there were a major setback, we would find a way to make signings if absolutely necessary.”