Over the past three days, Paco Gasó, the former bodyguard and driver of Barcelona president Joan Laporta, told his experiences to Madrid sports paper Marca.Among many other things, Gasó talked about the relation between Laporta and former Barcelona sports vice-president Sandro Rosell:
"One day, around the beginning of October [2003], we were on the doorstep of Cruyff's house. Txiki, Perrín, Laporta and Johan were there. And Laporta suddenly offered Cruyff the vice-presidency and the responsibility for the sports area.
Cruyff said no, that he was comfortable with his way of living, that if Laporta had any problem he knew who to call, but that he didn't want to complicate his life. He was very happy to be able to pack his bags whenever he wanted and travel around the world.
The scene was an unpleasant surprise for me. In the car I asked him why he had done this. 'Isn't Sandro the sports vice-president and don't people like him?' And he answered me: 'Yes, but God willing - I think he was referring to Cruyff - Sandro will leave soon on his own initiative.'
Those were his exact words and that was after only two months of the first season. And it was from that moment on that the two had a lot of discussions, about a friendly game in Mexico, for example, and about many more issues. Everything Sandro said went in one ear and out the other."
Read more:
Rosell: "The problem is Laporta himself"
Sala: "Rosell was always on the wrong side"
