Laporta seen speaking with Raphinha after controversial statements

Barcelona president Joan Laporta was present at the team's training session in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) on Tuesday, ahead of the Super Cup semi-final against Athletic, in which Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, the two players who cannot play at the moment due to their refusal to join the squad, took part.

Before the start of the rehearsal, the president spoke on the edge of the pitch with striker Raphinha, after the latter had said in a press conference that if he were out of the club, he would consider signing for Barca in view of the situation of his teammates.

For around a minute, the president chatted with the Brazilian international with his back to the media and then said goodbye to him with a friendly slap on the back so that he could join the group. The chat was captured by Abraham Romero, a journalist from the newspaper ‘El Mundo’.

Laporta, who travelled with the team from Barcelona to Jeddah on Monday, attended the training session after the club filed a request for a precautionary measure for Olmo and Víctor with the CSD, in order for them to be reinstated.

 

January 7, 2025