Joan Laporta calls for unity following Supercopa final loss | OneFootball

Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has asked for unity among the club and its fans. Following the loss to Athletic Club Bilbao in the Supercopa de España final, Laporta made a statement via twitter, urging everyone to look ahead to better times.

“We have to get up. To be the Barça that the fans and the players themselves deserve. With a project, with confidence. We will return the joy to Barcelona and win titles again and be at the forefront in world sports. Cheers, Culers!”, said Laporta.

Laporta issued the statement after Barcelona fell to a 3-2 defeat in yesterday’s Supercup final. Despite taking the lead twice against Athletic Club via two Antoine Griezmann goals, Barça couldn’t keep out the Lions’. And in the 3rd minute of extra time, conceded an Iñaki Williams goal which would prove to be the winner. To make matters worse, Lionel Messi was sent off for the first time in a Barcelona shirt.

The loss and Messi’s sending off complete a string of bad news for Cules. With the postponement of the Barcelona presidential elections confirmed, they will have to wait once again for stability. Laporta, though dissatisfied with the delay is still an overwhelming favourite to win the election. He is optimistic that Barcelona can return to glory with his sporting project.

While the Supercup isn’t generally considered the most important trophy during the season, yesterday’s game held more significance. It was the Blaugrana’s first shot at a title early on in the season. After last season’s trophyless campaign, it would have been a huge morale boost. For a side in transition, a trophy would have gone a long way towards building momentum. The players cannot let their heads drop, however, since there is still a long way yet to go in the season lying ahead.