Barcelona president’s advisor lashes out at Dembele: “Very easy to kiss the crest when you score”

Barcelona have had a crazy summer, to say the least. Big names have left and unexpected players have arrived through the club’s financially crippled transfer market, but it is safe to say that the end product was worth the toil.

Needless to say, Joan Laporta was one of the most important forces in overseeing such a successful transfer window. His close aide and advisor Enric Masip was equally influential on that front for he is very close to the Barcelona manager. 

Masip spoke to SPORT earlier this week and revealed behind-the-scenes secrets on many of Barcelona’s big decisions through the summer. Here are the snippets from his interview.

Lashing out at Dembele

Laporta’s advisor lashed out at Ousmane Dembele for his attitude towards Barcelona and for disrespecting the club by the manner of his exit. 

“I like good players, but I prefer committed players. He has already demonstrated his lack of commitment when he did not renew,” he said.

“I prefer a player who gives me a 7/10 or an 8/10 performance to one who gives me a 10/10 and two days later goes to another team to earn more.

“It’s very easy to kiss the crest when you score a goal or sell smoke on social media. It’s legitimate to want to earn more, but when you are committed you don’t look at the money and you don’t say one day one thing and another day another,” he added.

“I’d rather play a kid from La Masia or with Raphinha, who gives his all in every training session, than someone who gives you a performance of 9/10 and a 3/10 the next day.”

In contrast, Masip had a special message of gratitude and admiration for Marc-Andre Ter Stegen who recently accepted a big pay cut to help with the club’s financial situation.

“He’s an example and that’s why he’s a captain. He is a person who wants to stay at Barça and help the club, who extends his contract and helps with the salary mass, knowing that this way players can be incorporated who will help you win.”

On Alemany and Deco

Speaking on the expertise of Mateu Alemany and what the Spanish administrator brought to the table at Barcelona in recent years, Masip said:

“He knows a lot about the world of football. His essence is not being a sports director. It goes much further. He understands the Fair Play in detail. Here he has acted as a surgeon. The cut in the wage bill is largely thanks to his work.”

Continuing on the topic of the former Director of football at the club, Laporta’s advisor elaborated on his links with Aston Villa in the summer and how he ended up staying in Catalonia for the transfer window.

“He decided to accept the offer of another club, an exciting project. Here they started looking for a replacement. Deco was thought of and he began to disassociate himself from his business.”

“Mateu finally decided not to leave and stayed here, but he thought of another role for him because Deco was already there. Surely Mateu wanted to continue doing the same thing and thought it wouldn’t fit, but no one has fired anyone,” he added on the confusing situation involving Alemany and Deco.

Deco has now taken over as Barcelona’s new sporting director, and Masip has only praise for what the Brazilian brought to the club’s administration.

“He’s a leader. He is a person who convinces because he has been a leading soccer player. Here at Barça, in the Portugal national team, in Porto. It is very important when a leader is going to talk to another leader.”

“He is aware of everything, including the subsidiary and training football. And scouting. He has already begun to lay the first stones,” he added on Deco’s strengths.

On Xavi’s renewal

On Xavi Hernandez’s renewal at the club and when it will be officially announced, Masip said,

“It is a thing that is underway and that will be executed when the sports director decides. We are very satisfied with him. We have just won the League and the Super Cup to Real Madrid, a club without financial problems. We hope they will continue this season.”

“What he has done has a lot of merit. Accept to come with hardly any experience, to a locker room with former colleagues, with complicated contracts. They will judge him, as always, the results, but Xavi is highly valued here,” he added on what the manager has put on the line to succeed at the club of his dreams.

On Lamine Yamal’s breakthrough

Finally, the president’s close aide gave his two cents on Lamine Yamal, who has been breaking headlines in recent weeks, and how the club should approach handling his playing time.

“A process must be followed and those who must do so know it. He must be given a process so that he ends up developing, but without cutting off his wings.

“Just because he is 16 years old, you don’t have to keep him in a box and make him play in the youth team or in the reserve team waiting for him to turn 18 because there are no players like him.

“You can’t hold back such a brilliant start. What you have to do is look after him and we already have people to do that like Bojan, Márquez, Xavi…”