Camo Nou: Barcelona president Joan Laporta has visualised that the club will have a female president taking charge in the next 10 years. Since the dawn of the club in 1899, all the 41 presidents before Laporta have been males and he thinks that time has come for the trend to be altered.
The 59-year-old stated that the women are finally getting the recognition they deserve in football, and in about a decade Barcelona might also be led by a female president. “Barcelona will have a female president inside 10 years,” he predicted on Sunday in an interview with TV3, which was recorded in June.
“It is long overdue that women are given the recognition they deserve and have earned. A trend has been created and that’s a good thing. There are a lot of women capable of being on the board and I think in less than 10 years one will be president,” added the current chief.
There has been a significant raise in the numbers of female board members in the Catalan club in the recent years, with Teresa Basilio, Marta Plana and Maria Teixidor taking up significant roles under previous president Josep Maria Bartomeu. Elena Fort has been operating as one of Laporta’s vice-presidents.
Speaking of Fort, who works as a lawyer in Catalonia, Laporta admitted that she is ever prepared to take up his job. “Elena’s prepared to be Barca president because she has all the qualities you need for the job,” Laporta added.
Barcelona women’s football team – Barcelona Femini – is already known extensively for the amount of talent they possess, and very similarly to the men’s team, they have also brought in the much-honoured treble for their club.
Former Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverede, had also predicted once that, the days of Barcelona men’s team being managed by a female coach is not really a far.
