Deco talks about reinforcements and justifies Lamine's salary increase.
Hi community!
"When we decide to go on the transfer market, we'll certainly find some names, but we don't need to bring in a lot of players: two, three, or four, but without going crazy," assured Barça's sporting director.
"We're proud because Barcelona is still such a big club, and our way of playing football makes players want to come," he stated.
"Lamine is special, and he wanted to stay because he believes in the project. He deserves a better salary. He's going to be one of the best players in the world," he emphasized.
Deco, sporting director of FC Barcelona, took stock of the 2024-25 season while also looking to the future.
"We've focused on renewing contracts, and after that, we'll talk about reinforcements. Of course, these two players, as you mentioned, are good, but they have contracts with their clubs, so we won't talk about them because it's not fair. But when we decide to go to the market, we'll surely find some names. In my opinion, we don't need to bring in many players: two, three, or four, but without going crazy," Deco explained in an interview.
Regarding the players' willingness to wear the Blaugrana jersey, Deco applauded Barça's attractiveness after returning to the sporting spotlight by winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Super Cup, and coming within a whisker of reaching the Champions League final: "When I talk to the players' agents, they all want to come or stay. So this is important. The club's image remains good. We're proud because Barcelona is still such a big club, and our way of playing football makes players want to come."
Deco warned that Real Madrid, defeated by Barça in all four Clásicos this season, will improve: "Next season won't be easy, because I know that, first of all, Real Madrid has many top-level players. In my opinion, they have a great team. They have many fantastic players. Of course, they want to improve. It's very important to have a strong Madrid. It's very important to have strong, elite players, players that people want to watch. I think Madrid has these types of players, like we do. Now it's important to keep the best players in La Liga. So, for us, it's important that Madrid is strong, that Atlético is strong, and we have to be there."
Lamine Yamal continues to dominate the football world, but Deco prefers to avoid comparisons with Leo Messi while welcoming his contract extension until 2031: "Lamine is Lamine. Leo is Leo. Leo was the best player in the history of this club; for me, the best player in history. Everyone goes crazy when they see Lamine play football; you'd pay to see him in the stadium. He's special, and he wanted to stay because he believes in the project. He deserves a better salary. Lamine is going to be one of the best players in the world. We must respect him as a player, but let's not forget that he's only 17 years old. It's not easy to compare him, but Lamine, in terms of quality, can make history like Leo. But, of course, to make history, he needs a good team behind him."
Deco recalls that Lamine's scrutiny on and off the pitch can be a challenge, and the club must work together to help him: "We try not to let him do everything, because, you know, sometimes sponsors and everyone want his shirt or his time. Sometimes we can't control everything, but people see his magic, on and off the pitch. They want to have something of his, and we have to help him get that."
His commitment to Barça and also to Joan Laporta, who signed him as sporting director in 2023, is clear in Deco's BBC interview. "Barcelona is my club, I love Barcelona. I saw what happened from the outside and always thought I could help Barça reach the same level. I knew it would be difficult when I joined because of the financial rules; it's not a financial issue, but the financial fair play rules in Spain are stricter than in the Premier League and other countries," said the head of Barça's sporting department, who elaborated on this label that has been attached to FC Barcelona: "It's a problem for many clubs; you only hear about Barça because we're a big club. You have to work with it, see how you can improve the team, and the combination of players from La Masia and experienced players has been important."
See You soon!
Posted Using INLEO