"I spoke to Pique and he told me he was down"

Joan Laporta presented this Thursday his plans for Barcelona and he talked about the defeat to PSG. The presidential candidate said that the footballers need support and admitted that he had spoken to Gerard Pique, who had told him the team are down. 

"I spoke to a first team player (Pique) after the game. He was down, but he was precisely the one who set the example by wanting to play after coming back from injury. I've already made a reference to a conversation with a person I have a very good relationship with and I only said that he was down. Let me keep the rest of the conversation to myself and just say to that we aren't going to leave them on their own," Laporta said. 

In addition, he gave his support to Ronald Koeman despite the blow: "We deposited our confidence in the coaches, they have a contract which is still running and results and the play will decide things. We'll do it with the utmost respect for them, but we'll be demanding, as you have to be in the world of sport. We won't speak about names, but we'll give them."

Laporta also gave his own opinion after the game: "The other day I was angry, hugely disappointed, I wanted to sleep and let time pass. I didn't even have the strength to write a tweet. I went to sleep, I didn't sleep very well, but time goes by and the message is clear: you have to be with the players."

Laporta has said various times that Messi wants to renew at Barca and this Thursday he reaffirmed that. Nevertheless, he insisted that Barca had a disadvantage over PSG and Man City: "I remain keen to persuade Messi to stay at the club. The competitors are state owned clubs and they have their own way of dodging FFP rules. Messi will get great offers and it's difficult to compete with them, but we'll try and persuade him."

Another of their concerns is the money factor,. "I'm convinced the club is fine financially in the short term," the Barca candidate said. He denied that Barca are at a disadvantage over other clubs when it comes to signing players. 

"I have everything prepared to face situations like these. It's through experience and knowledge that I have of people who could intervene in all of these situations. I want to send a message of calm to Barca fans. We'll become financially sustainable again and if we need to improve the sporting aspects of our professional clubs, I have all the 'cards' prepared and I'm ready to play them."

Laporta believes that there are still reasons to have faith in Barca: "We have to get back the winning mentality. Fight and keep on fighting. The Copa del Rey tie is still to be played and Atletico are going through a difficult time in La Liga. I would ask them to maintain dignity and get back a winning mentality. "We'll never leave them on their own."

"It's now when you have to love Barca more. The players, as of today, are all on their own. I ask you to maintain dignity in the Champions League. We'll go very calm to Paris. I think we have to create a belief there can be a fightback in Paris. There have been epic moments in the history of this club. We have to go to Paris with that mentality," he finished.