FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta speaks to CNN Sports’ Amanda Davies about the season ahead, signing Marcus Rashford and the “genius” Lamine Yamal.

Barcelona

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has stated that the club is aiming to build on last season's domestic successes, which included winning the Spanish League, the King's Cup, and the Super Cup. Laporta emphasized the club's commitment to its playing style and noted the addition of three new players during the summer transfer window, including Marcus Rashford, who he believes will strengthen the team.

Laporta also addressed reports regarding young talent Lamin Yamal, expressing confidence in his maturity and potential. He clarified that Yamal is supportive of Rashford's arrival and highlighted the club's responsibility to help Yamal develop his skills and enjoy his football both on and off the pitch.

Barcelona will be ‘stronger’ next season, Joan Laporta says

How do Barcelona build on what was such a successful season last year, but 10 years without getting your hands on that Champions League trophy? How do you take that step back to the success that you have known so well and want so much as a club? We are very proud of our last season. They are playing our genuine style of playing football. We won the Spanish League, we won the Kings Cup of Spain, we won the Super Cup of Spain. We signed three players this summer window that we think will make our club stronger and more competitive. It is a formula that is working, it is a formula that is consolidating and I hope that we will fight for winning La Liga, we will fight for winning the Kings Cup, the Super Cup and why not the European Champions League. At least I think that we have enough team to compete and to have some possibilities in all competitions that we will participate in the next season. What is it about Marcus Rashford that so appealed to you about him as a player because he, in England, has had a tough couple of years? We trust very much in Marcus Rashford. He is a very talented player. He was the best player in England in the Premier League. It is true that it takes two years. He had some different experiences that he had. In Aston Villa he played very well. We signed this player because he was really committed to come to FC Barcelona and for us this is very, very important. He is demonstrating in the trainings this summer that he will help us very much because he is fast, he is strong, he is committed. There have been some reports that Lamin Yamal was somewhat unhappy about the arrival of Marcus Rashford. How much truth is there to that? Lamin Yamal is a genius. He is a young player, a very talented player, very young but very smart as well. He is mature for his age and immediately he thinks in the group, he thinks in the team and I know that he is happy because he told me that he is very happy that we signed Marcus Rashford. From your perspective and his role, do you see him as the new Leo Messi? Leo Messi was Leo Messi. Leo Messi has been the best player in the world and Lamin, I think that in this position nowadays, is the best player in the world but Lamin is Lamin. He has a high personality like Leo Messi in his time has a lot of personality as well. Of course that Messi won everything, Messi did everything, to me probably he is the best player of the history but you know the world continues and appears new genius. In case of Lamin, he is that kind of player that there is not too much players like him because he is a genius and he is top level as well. The most important for us is that there is a commitment between his family, his agent and the club in order to help him to have a great career, a great professional career in football and I think that is our responsibility to help him to improve his skills season after season. How confident are you that Lamin has the right team around him and what do you see as the key to allowing him to maximise his potential? I think that the most important is that he enjoys in the team, in the pitch enjoying playing football and out of the pitch enjoying as a boy that likes a normal life. He knows that to be the best and to be at the top he needs to be fit, he needs to train, he needs to follow the advice of the coach and the people that are around him surrounding him and then I think that there will be a great success.

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Breakdown