Guardiola departure deliberate, says Laporta

Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has claimed his successor Sandro Rosell intentionally let Pep Guardiola depart the club.

Guardiola decided to leave his position to take a sabbatical, and the 50-year-old Laporta is of the opinion that not everything was done to keep the trainer on board.

“The current board could have done much more to convince him to stay. His departure was an intentional negligence,” he told reporters.

He also took the time to take a swipe at the decision to sign a sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways, which he believes might not be in the club’s best interest.

“Many lies have been told along the way to reach the point where things are now. Whether or not it was the best deal for the club depends on whether funds were needed,” he said.

“In reality decisions like these are eroding the value of club’s solidarity.”