Laporta: "The technical secretary is doing a good job"
David Saura
FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta stated that the club's technical secretary was doing a good job as he spoke to the media during the presentation of Martín Cáceres on Friday.
The Blaugrana chief stated that he feels "the team is reinforced in a stable and coherent way" and
that he is convinced that "the new signings will bear fruit". He then added: "I am sure that the
Barcelonismo will recover the excitement."
New arrivals
Reflecting on the cost of the new arrivals, Laporta said that they were "inside the
parametres of the market" and denied that the club had paid over-the-odds for players. "The
investment on any player always depends on performance," he explained. "I think that balance is
positive. That is an objective fact."
Keita and Euro players back a week later
Pep Guardiola was also present for Cáceres' introdctuion and
he said that the Uruguayan will join the first team for pre-season training on July 14 with the
rest of his new colleagues. In the case of Seydou Keita and the club's participants in Euro 2008,
they will join up with the squad a week later.
Praise for Spain trio
The new Barça coach also took advantage of his time in front of the press to praise Xavi,
Andrés Iniesta and Carles Puyol for their success with the Spain team. "They deserve a lot of merit
for what they have done," he said. "They have broken the famous quarter final jinx and have
relieved a lot of the pressure. I am delighted that we have three players of that level."
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Respect for Rosell
Joan Laporta was asked about a press conference held by his former vice president; Sandro Rosell,
in Barcelona where he announced he would be standing at teh next presidential elections. "I respect
the decision of any Barça member, but now we are in the process of voting on the referendum," he
said. "There will be plenty of time to look at models and projects for moving the club forward. I
expect that to be in 2010, when it becomes obligatory, but now we are not doing that."