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Barcelona players ‘are angry with Joan Laporta’ after the president criticized club captains – including Busquets and Pique – and De Jong for refusing a salary cut amid the crippling financial woes of the Catalan giants
- Barcelona president Joan Laporta criticized key players for failing to take pay cuts
- Players have reportedly been angered by the 60-year-old’s public comments
- Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique would be among those frustrated
- The Catalan side continues to struggle financially despite the summer investments
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There is more unrest at Barcelona after President Joan Laporta criticized players for failing to take pay cuts, according to a report.
The Catalan side has been hit by major financial difficulties off the pitch and had to rush to register their summer signings as they struggled with Financial Fair Play restrictions.
Laporta used a members’ meeting to ask, among others, Frenkie De Jong and other senior players to lower their salaries, and according to Helena Condis via HandleSeveral of the club’s stars, including Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique, are said to have objected to the 60-year-old’s comments.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta again asked senior Barcelona players for a pay cut
The comments are said to have caused further unrest at the Catalan club behind the scenes
Players like Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba have publicly made salary cuts to help the club, with board members having to cut their salaries to allow the club Jules Kunde to enroll in LaLiga for the summer.
Players have been reported to have been upset about the club’s approach ahead of a vital week in the season with a Champions League match against Inter Milan ahead of El Clasico against Real Madrid in a top match over the weekend.
Laporta said: “We’ve tried with different players and not only have it failed, but we’ve had to guarantee the £8.8million that [we] were missing.
“If there had been reductions with some players, that guarantee should not have been made, we have accepted it sportingly.”
Raphina (left) and Robert Lewandowski (right) were two of Barcelona’s most important summer signings
Barcelona signed Kounde, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Hector Bellerin and Marcos Alonso in a surprisingly busy summer transfer window.
They rushed to register the players in time for the start of the new season, and they succeeded with everyone except Kunde, who is now also registered.
Laporta also sold 10 percent of the future money for TV rights to US investment firm Sixth Street Partners in a deal worth £176 million.
Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann said in the summer: ‘It is the only club in the world that has no money but buys all the players they want’, as criticism of the club poured in during the off-season.
The club reportedly tried to push Gerard Pique out the door in a bid to save more money
Frenkie de Jong has rejected the opportunity to leave the club several times during the summer
The five-time Champions League winners have also reportedly tried to force several players out of the club to save money, such as de Jong and club legend Gerard Pique.
They lost Lionel Messi last summer due to pay issues, although reports suggest they are interested in bringing him back to the club.
Barcelona currently top LaLiga, leading rivals Real Madrid on goal difference with seven wins from their eight games to date.