Barcelona Defender Pau Cubarsi Dismisses Claims Players Were Exploited in Laporta Election Victory

Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi has firmly rejected suggestions that he and his teammates were manipulated by president Joan Laporta during the recent club presidential election, emphasizing players' autonomy while maintaining focus on their Champions League campaign against Newcastle United.

The 19-year-old center-back addressed mounting criticism surrounding player involvement in Laporta's successful re-election campaign, where several squad members were photographed celebrating the victory alongside the president on Sunday evening.

As a player and as a member, everyone is free to express themselves as they wish. I'm keeping my vote to myself, but Laporta has been elected president and we congratulate him. We're focused on tomorrow, Cubarsi stated diplomatically when questioned about potential exploitation allegations.

Several Barcelona players had publicly referenced close relationships with Laporta throughout the campaign period, though most avoided explicitly endorsing any candidate. Reports suggested that comments made by Laporta's opponent Victor Font had not resonated well with the squad, potentially influencing player sentiment.

Cubarsi revealed that Laporta visited the team following his election victory, delivering an encouraging message about maintaining their current trajectory. He came to visit us and we congratulated him. He told us to be ourselves, that we are at a spectacular level, and to continue being a family, which is what wins titles.

The young defender's comments come as Barcelona prepares for a crucial Champions League second leg against Newcastle United at Camp Nou on Wednesday, following a disappointing 1-1 draw in the first leg at St. James' Park.

Manager Hansi Flick had acknowledged after the Newcastle match that his team appeared fatigued, with the Premier League side successfully pressuring Barcelona throughout the encounter. Cubarsi admitted the intensity difference was noticeable but expressed confidence about their home advantage.

We've been able to recharge our batteries and we're in good form. Playing every three days doesn't give you much time, but you have to find moments to prepare mentally. Tomorrow we'll go all out, as always, the defender explained.

Despite conceding twice against Sevilla over the weekend, Barcelona's defensive performances have shown marked improvement in recent weeks. Since consecutive defeats to Girona and Atletico Madrid earlier this season, the Blaugrana have conceded just four goals across six matches.

We've tweaked a few things in the defensive line, but now we're at a great level. Every available player is performing at a spectacular level, and that helps the team. If we trust the staff's philosophy, things will turn out well, Cubarsi observed.

Injuries to key full-backs Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde have forced tactical adjustments, with Joao Cancelo moving to left-back and various players rotating through the right-back position. Cubarsi praised the Portuguese defender's second stint with the club.

We're very happy with this second stint. When he arrived, he helped me a lot to integrate into the dressing room. It's great to have a versatile player who can help us. He's one of us, and he's thrilled.

The defender also highlighted Gerard Martin's impressive development, noting his teammate's comfort playing center-back despite primarily being a full-back. Gerard Martin is having a spectacular season, he's playing more at centre-back and he feels comfortable. A magnificent season.

Cubarsi acknowledged that Newcastle's high intensity in the first leg had challenged Barcelona's rhythm but insisted that attitude matters more than experience when facing knockout competition. The most important thing isn't experience, it's how you approach the game and how you go into it. It's a knockout round, and even though we played in the semis last year, it doesn't mean we're going to win.