The candidate for the presidency of Barcelona, Joan Laporta, suggests that the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs could be behind the disciplinary proceedings opened by UEFA against Barça for the presence of pro-independence flags during the Champions League final in Berlin.
The candidate does not rule out that it is "one of the organizations that try to neutralize what is happening at Barça," as he said at the Hotel Palace in Barcelona, at a conference as part of the 'Special Barça Elections 2015' cycle organized by the 'Forum Europa. Tribuna Catalunya'.
Joan Laporta also believes that the main responsible for the proceedings are the members of Josep Maria Bartomeu’s board of directors due to their mismanagement of institutional relations. "The last board has broken relations with UEFA and FIFA, and if you are not willing to maintain a good relationship, things like this happen," said the former president of Barcelona between 2003 and 2010.
Laporta has claimed that he intends to correct these institutional relations "with the right people" and has asked the members to vote for him "if they want to continue waving the pro-independence flag."
UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings on Tuesday, and it was signed by a member of the UEFA disciplinary committee's inspection team, Ukrainian lawyer Anna Bordiugova, who wrote the report based on the broadcast on television.
The UEFA delegate at the match, Dutchman Harry M. Been, highlighted in his report, however, the "excellent behavior" of the fans present, as well as the absence of "pyrotechnic devices" and "discriminatory chants."
The club announced that it will appeal the decision. The deadline to submit the appeal is July 15.