Barca and Celtic share same ethos; we create legends

Bartomeu, who was one of the driving forces to re-structure the UEFA Champions League in order to further expand the financial rewards on offer from it, has, however, maintained that it is not only money that is a significant pull when it comes to attracting the world’s best.

“Of course it is important,” said the man who is currently charged with personally conducting the negotiations to keep five times Ballon D’or winner Lionel Messi at the Nou Camp, “but we, like Celtic, would like to think that not everything comes down to money.

“You do not only play for Barcelona; you play for the club, you represent the sporting history of Barcelona when you play in our colours. You represent the fans of our club and what they stand for and it is a shirt that must be worn with pride because of this.

“We show players our city, we show them our club. We do not only talk of money. We talk about who Barcelona is as a football club – we have a history and a story to tell. When players come to us, it is not only for money – which is important – but also because of the philosophies we have. We share the values that are important to us so that players understand what we mean as a club.

“We have history. We are not only about money.”

And yet, inevitably, it is money that is the driving force behind every re-structuring decision. La Liga currently earns one third in television revenue that the English Premier League does and Bartomeu may have a romantic vision of his club but he also appreciates the necessity of economic factors in maintaining Barcelona’s role at the forefront of European football.

Asked if the riches of England could ever entice Messi away from Catalonia, the president laughed; “everybody asks this,” he chuckled. “We are lucky just now. We are maybe the richest, or second richest, club so we have a budget that is higher than most teams in England.

“But Lionel came to us when he was just a child of 13. He is now 29 years old and he has had a very successful career with Barcelona. We want him to finish his career here – to have his own story in the Barcelona story.

“This is the best place for him to stay and play because we will always want to be the best team in the world. There are many players who have devoted their career to Barcelona – players stay with us because they become part of us, like Andreas Iniesta, like Carlos Puyol. Like so many players who form the thread to our story. You can be a legend at Barcelona.”

Barcelona have the wherewithal to attract the world’s best, not just at first-team level but also historically at grassroots level where the net is cast far and wide.

Celtic’s would ideally love to realise their of a youth academy that can be a genuine conveyor belt into the senior side. Kieran Tierney has caught the eye over the last 18 months with a series of dominant displays at first-team level but one of the big differences between Celtic and Barcelona is that the Parkhead side’s resolve will always be tested by lucrative offers from south of the border.

“The youth structure is so important to the identity of any club,” explained Bartomeu. “Almost 50% of our first-team players have come through our own club. They learn early how we play and they understand the culture of Barcelona and of the team. We can look abroad for other players to strengthen our team – but that is not my business. I leave that to the coaches.

“But when you have players who come through the club from a very young age they understand that it is an honour to play for the club – it is a privilege to wear our shirt. It is the same with Celtic. When you have that passion as a club then you have players who will give everything they have. That is what gives soul to the team. It is important to us, it is important to Celtic. It is why we have understood one another as clubs.”