Joan Laporta Goes So Close, Yet So Far…

By: chris | July 9th, 2009

This had the potential to be one of those epic quotes shoved in the faces of Barcelona’s most despised Clasico rivals for years and years on end. Joan Laporta so swiftly hurtling the gavel down and declaring his Cules the superior.

“We make Ballon d’Or winners and others have to buy them.”

It even sounds sexier in the native tongue.

“Nosotros fabricamos Balones de Oro y otros los tienen que comprar.”

That should be on t-shirts, coffee mugs, frisbees. People should be naming babies Nosotros fabricamos Balones de Oro y otros los tienen que comprar.

Just one slight issue…it’s not true. Not yet, at least.

Luis Suarez
Johan Cruijff
Hristo Stoichkov
Rivaldo
Ronaldo
Ronaldinho

Those are Barcelona players who’ve won the Ballon d’Or since its inception in 1956. However, quite famously non-European players playing outside Europe weren’t allowed in until 1995, so it was hardly worth the paper it was printed on to some degree (read: no Pele).

Luis Suarez comes closest as a true Barca product, having been bought as a 19 year old by Deportivo La Coruna and not making a name for himself until the Catalonia days, but still didn’t come through the kiddie setup. As for the others:

Cruijff: Had played damn near 300 games for Ajax and already had one Ballon in his cabinet (two more to follow).
Stoichkov: 24 upon his arrival in Barcelona and fresh off a season of 38 goals in 30 games – he was already half-decent.
Ronaldo: El Fenomono was on the books of Inter when he won it in 1997, but it was on the back of that magnificent lone season for Barca. He’d already made his European name with PSV.
Rivaldo: Barcelona was his fifth side and they paid a mint for him.
Ronaldinho: Gremio, PSG and the Parisian nightlife made Ronaldinho.

None, sadly, who came through the youth ranks of Barcelona. And even crazier…they were all bought. Most for massive, massive sums. Kinda like those Madrid fellas.

And strangely enough a similar fate has been suffered by Real Madrid – their youth system has never produced a Ballon D’Or winner. Astounding, isn’t it? Two of the greatest trophy hauliers in history and they’re still missing one of the biggest.

Now it’s pretty obvious Laporta was attacking more the more recent regimes on the other side of the Clasico fence – the Blancos having bought the two most recent winners for a hefty sum within the last month – but he’s still wrong. At least for now. This will probably change next fall when Lionel Messi meanders his way up to the podium to kiss the golden ball not from Becks, as he did make his way across the pond at the tender age of thirteen. Not to mention having Barca to thank for the hormone treatments which made him the towering man he is today. Yet all in all, not quite true.

But why let mere facts stand in the way of a great quote?

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Category: Spain La Liga, World Football

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Josep

Slightly off-topic, but Spanish is not his native tongue
Hector

In all fairness to Laporta (who IS a blustering big-mouth), you kinds see his point in that, no RM player since the great Di Stefano has won a Ballon D'Or mainly for feats performed while actually wearing an RM shirt. Ronaldo won it in 02 essentially for his WC performance (he didn't even play in RM until October of that year due to injury) while Figo won it in '00 more for his Barca campaign than anything he did with RM during those first 4 months of the season. That's like saying if Cristiano Ronaldo had done this transfer one year ago, that he won the 08 Ballon D'Or for feats as an RM player. If you look at it that way, then ol'Joan kinda sorta MAY have a point.
EinMünchnerImHimmel

Um, I think the author of this article is being a bit too pedantic though I can totally see the point he is trying to make which isn't really completely incorrect. However laporta is clearly taking a clever wipe at Real. He is insinuating that Messi will win the the Ballon d'Or while Ronaldo was simply bought. Also I do think Laporta is quite aware of the fact all the other Barca winners did not come out of their youth system. Nevertheless, Barca really was really the place the likes of Stoichkov, Rivaldo and especially Ronaldinho came into their own and the players we came to admire. Really how many people were following Ronaldinho when he was playing for PSG? He was then still more know as that guy who scored on Seaman from miles away!
Barry

You never know what football has in stall. 12 months is a long time in football. I'd like to see Iniesta and Messi win it though.
aleksander

When messi wins it this year, and iniesta the next, you woudln't say that
japple

Barry - what about when messi inevitably wins at one point or another?
Barry

Michael Owen - 2001, is the last time ANYONE has won the Ballon D'or with the club he was developed. Get some perspective guys, football is just not like how it used to be. Players move way too much these days. As soon as someone is in form, and NO MATTER how good the club is he is performing at (eg CR7) there will be another club jealous and wanting to by him (Real Madrid).

Moral of the story - the Ballon D'or will probably never again be won by a player playing for the club he was developed at.
I Hate Madrid

you guys are off.

Read again what Laporta said.

.....

Now, did we buy ronaldinho, ronaldo, and the others BEFORE or AFTER they won the ballond d'or? We bought ronaldinho, he developed at barca, THEN won the ballon d'or. It is not at all the same thing as buying kaka, ronaldo...

Also, the ballon d'or is not really a legitimate award, it is about who is more popular.
Geoff

cough, cough......Treble, cough....cough
Gordon

I think Messi will be the first to come through either youth system and win a Ballon d'Or.
Seth

lol @ Andres. We often forget that there are other bloggers here because Daryl is full of awesomeness.
jordi

He means they buy them as actual ballon d'or winers, where as we buy them before they are ballon do'or winners, and they win for the 1st time while at the club, except for cruyff .
Joel

Great quote. Untrue. But great quote. I'm thinking of making a T-shirt just for myself.
matt

when iniesta wins his i guess he'll be vindicated
Mike

I'm a Barcelona fan but Laporta is an idiot sometimes
Daryl

Thanks Andres, but this is actually Chris's post.
Andres

Great post daryl , I especially liked the part where you said " none, sadly, who came through the youth ranks of Barcelona. And even crazier… they were all bought. Most for massive, massive sums. Kinda like those Madrid fellas " um what's that smell ? Is it hypocrisy ? Hell yea , I'm looking at you laporta