Laporta, ahead of Istanbul trip: "We're playing the best soccer in the world"

Joan Laporta didn't hold back. On the eve of a heated match in Istanbul, the Barcelona president stepped up to the microphones and dropped a line that's already making the rounds among fans: the team coached by Hansi Flick is playing, in his words, "the best soccer in the world."

The comments came this Tuesday, just before the Blaugrana squad took on Galatasaray in the second matchday of the Champions League league phase, in a stadium where the atmosphere is known to run hot. Laporta chose that stage to deliver his message, though he tempered it with a bit of caution.

I say this with all humility, but I think we're playing the best soccer in Europe and therefore in the world. There are other teams that are also doing very well, like PSG or Bayern Munich, who are candidates to win the competitions we're part of. And there's always a surprise waiting somewhere, so we have to stay alert.Joan Laporta

Why is the president talking this way? Because behind that statement sits a very specific goal set for this season: the Champions League, a title Barcelona hasn't lifted since 2015. Ten years without touching that trophy weighs on the club, and Laporta doesn't hide it, calling it flat out "the objective" of the campaign.

To back up that ambition, the president also had words of praise for Deco's work as sporting director, crediting him with building "a very competitive and well balanced squad." That's no small compliment coming from the man in charge of the club: it means that, at least from the front office's view, they see a roster capable of genuinely competing on every front.

A team that entertains, according to its president

Beyond the results, Laporta stressed something that seems to matter to him just as much as titles: the show. "We're the team playing the best and putting on a show, which means soccer fans and Barca fans alike are having a good time. We play a game that's fun to watch," he explained. He went further, pointing to what he sees as the root cause: for him, the key lies in the "team spirit and good atmosphere" that he says runs through the locker room.

Not everything was self-praise. Asked about Real Madrid's complaints over officiating following their match against Villarreal, Laporta chose to steer clear of that topic. He preferred to focus on his own team and on what was ahead that same night. On the matchup with Galatasaray, he was direct: "It's one of those games we like to play because there's a great atmosphere in the stadium," he said, well aware that Istanbul is hardly a relaxing place to visit.