Joan Laporta reveals the secret to helping Barcelona recover from €820m debt

The presidential candidate recalls facing a tough financial situation during his first Barcelona reign and he assures that it's possible to cover the debt.

One of the ways to do so is for Barca to participate in the new competition called the European Super League, he says.

"We are very concerned about this [the €820m debt]. People always talk about net debt, but we also need to consider what third parties owe us. In any case, we are optimistic, because I already experienced this in 2003. These figures are absolutely recoverable," presidential candidate Joan Laporta has told La Vanguardia.

"There are business solutions that can be used to a much greater extent. There is such an option as the European Super League, which can bring a lot of income to the club. And if you add other areas of business that are present in the market, there is a reason for optimism," Laporta added.

Days before his resignation, Josep Maria Bartomeu confirmed Barcelona's participation in the Super League, saying that 'this would guarantee the financial viability of the club going forwards'.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, however, said that the association would do everything possible to hinder the plan of forming the new competition.

The likes of Real Madrid, PSG, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, Inter, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Man United reportedly also support the idea of joining the ESL which could potentially become an alternative to the Champions League in the future.