On the lively nights of soccer talk shows, few speeches manage to capture as much attention as the one delivered by Jota Jordi during a heated debate about one of the summer's biggest sagas. The surprising outcome in the Nico Williams case, who went from being almost certain to join Barça to signing a historic contract extension with Athletic Club, has sparked a wave of intense reactions among the blaugrana community and throughout the Spanish soccer world.
Jota Jordi was clear from the very first minute. He demanded a strong Barça in the offices, one that doesn't give in to the pressures of agents or players seeking privileged conditions.
"What I want is to have a president who doesn't give in at all to any blackmail from any agent and who defends my club." This is how Jota Jordi began his statement. The panelist emphasized that the club must protect its interests and the value of its crest above any player: "If a player comes with too many demands... nothing. If you want to play for Barça, you accept what's on the table."
Jordi took the opportunity to remind everyone of the difficult financial situation the club is going through and didn't hesitate to blame the previous board: "What we have now is very bad because of the president we had before (Josep Maria Bartomeu)." He stated that the decisions made during that period still weigh on Barça, mentioning cases like Messi's: "Just a few days ago, we had to pay more than €20 million (20 millones de euros) to players who renewed the day before Bartomeu left. Among others, Messi, who received €6.5 million (6,5 millones de euros) from Barça just a few days ago."
Dani Olmo as an example and criticism of Nico Williams's attitude
For Jota Jordi, Barça must sign committed players who are clear about their desire to wear the blaugrana jersey no matter the conditions. "I want it to be like Dani Olmo, who said "I want to play for Barça no matter what, because my dream is to play for Barça"," he concluded, praising the Spanish footballer's attitude.
The contrast came with the Nico Williams case, about which he was especially critical: "I don't want players like Nico Williams, who told all his friends he wanted to play for Barça and in the end, look." Jordi even revealed that the footballer's decision has not gone down well in the Barça locker room: "Last night he told his best friend that he wanted to play for Barça and that he was going to play for Barça. He told his best friends in the Barça locker room, who, by the way, are extremely angry."
Defending the crest and a message for the club's future
For Jota Jordi, the Barça jersey must be worn with ambition and the desire to succeed at the most demanding club in the world: "You come to Barça because you want to win titles and because you want to play for the best club in the world, not for anything else." The panelist didn't hesitate to take a jab at Athletic Club and the philosophy of those who prefer to stay in Bilbao: "If not, you stay there in Bilbao and bring out the Gabarra every 15 or 20 years."
Finally, he ended his speech by defending the role of the current president, Joan Laporta, in these types of negotiations: "I want this kind of president, like Laporta, who doesn't give in to shady deals and who defends the crest and who defends Barça."