Bartomeu and Zubizarreta: “We have the squad we wanted”

FC Barcelona’s vice president for sport, Josep Maria Bartomeu, and the director of football Andoni Zubizarreta have spoken to the press about the general situation at the club, the summer transfer window, and they also presented the coaching staff for the 2013/14 season. “It has been the strangest preseason. What we never expected was the enforced goodbye to Tito Vilanova,” said Bartomeu, who underlined that it changed many of the team’s plans, but he also assured that “despite the complexities, we have the squad we wanted”.

He also said that in financial terms, the club has achieved success because “for the second year in a row we have spent less than our budget for new players.” Zubizarreta agreed, saying, “I’m delighted with the squad we have.” He added that “the team is competing extraordinarily well. You don’t just find cups in the museum. You have to go out and win them … This team has always wanted to get better and I think we’re making an effort to do that.” But he did admit that Barça’s main objective is still to find a centre back. “Throughout Barça’s history, centre backs have always been difficult to sign,” he said, noting that “nobody has told me that any deals couldn’t be made for financial reasons. But whenever you try to make deals you reach a point when you feel a player is only worth so much and no more.” 

Asked about details of recent transfers, Bartomeu confirmed that Neymar had cost 57 million euros, 17.1 of which corresponded to the player’s federative rights. “Santos have freed us from the confidentiality agreement but one of the companies involved did not,” he explained. “We have a global collaboration agreement with Santos for 7.9 million euros and preferential rights to three young footballers. We won’t mention any names so as not to draw attention to them. If any of them come here, then that amount will be an advance payment on their future transfer fee.” Bartomeu also revealed that “the agreement for Villa’s transfer included preferential rights to two young Atlético Madrid players.”