In the final days of the transfer window, there was a lot of talk about how much Barcelona liked Lautaro Martinez and how real the chances were of signing him?
"First of all, Lautaro is an idol at Inter. We have a lot of respect for him. He’s a fantastic player, a spectacular player. He’s an icon, a legend at Inter, the captain. And out of respect for the player, respect for the club, the moment the club told us he wasn’t available, we didn’t pursue it any further.
"We try to do things the right way, very clearly. No speculation, no talking to the press, because that’s our job. And, besides, the clubs are the main actors in these matters. But it’s true that, at that time, among the strikers we were looking for, those we thought could play for Barca, Lautaro was one of them.
"But as soon as I was introduced to Inter’s directors and they told us he wasn’t for sale, I respected that and we didn’t talk any more with the player or his agent. But yes, he’s a player we liked, we love him, and I personally do as well."
A new era is beginning for Portuguese football, and also for Italian football. What do you think needs to change in Italy for it to be like Spain or Portugal?
"I think, first of all, it’s about development. We, Portugal, are a small country, but with a high level of football. Here in Portugal, football is played everywhere, in many small and historic clubs that have good training programs. The Federation has been doing a good job in player development for many years. Portugal is able to compete with all the big countries at U17, U19, U21, and U15 levels.
"Portugal has, if you look at what we have here, this is the key for me, and that young players can play for their teams. Spain also has a bit of this. I think Italy has great footballers, in my opinion. Personally, I know some young players who are in Italy, but I think it takes them a long time to reach the national team, it takes them a long time to play for their clubs.
"In Spain and Portugal, at 17 or 18, they’re already playing for their countries and clubs, but I can’t comment much because I’m not involved day to day. But I think Italy is a powerhouse, it’s just a matter of getting things in order. I think there are people capable of putting things in order, many top-level directors and many former players with incredible histories who can help.
"But I think if they do things right, Italy can get back to the level of football it deserves."
The signings of Gabriel Jesus and Rodri have proven to be two smart moves. Can you tell us how they happened?
"First, I think we’ve rekindled the desire of players who want to come to Barcelona. That’s very important for us. In the last three years, we’ve been winning, and I think every player who’s seen Barcelona play would like to join the club. It’s easier when you go to the market and talk about Barcelona, talk about our projects, talk about the players we have now.
"It’s not easy to compete against a Premier League club, which is the best, not for my job, but it’s the best league in the world. So the players, we know the market is huge, it’s strong, but I think when you have Barcelona on your side, when you play at this level, when players see what we’re doing there, I think it’s easier to convince players to come with us.
"Rodri’s case was different because he won everything at City and they helped Rodri leave because it was his wish. Gabriel Jesus, I think he’s a top player. He didn’t play many games at Arsenal. That’s football, sometimes when you change, with new motivation, a new club, new teammates, so that’s important for Gabriel.
:We’re happy to have him. I think they were two different moves, but we’re very happy."
If I could ask you about JJ Gabriel, who was seen in Barcelona...
"No, there’s nothing to say about that player. Normally, some players are always linked with us. There are big brands involved. Even when they’re young, we’re not interested in any player in his situation. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know if he still plays for Manchester United. I don’t know.
"We’re not interested in that because, first of all, we need to understand all the situations before trying to do anything. We’re talking about young players, teenage players. It’s not our business."
Can I ask you about Raphinha, his importance now that he’s become the centre forward? How do you think he’s evolved into a modern player?
"We spoke with him at the end of the season. Last season we also spoke with Hansi. One of Hansi’s ideas was to try to have a number nine. We didn’t know exactly what would happen because it’s something different even for him, as he had played as a winger, as a number 10. When we decided to make the move for Anthony (Gordon), we knew, of course, that he and Karim (Adeyemi) needed to play.
"That meant that, for Raphinha, the idea was to find another position for him, maybe as a number 10 or as a number nine. We’re happy because we’ve discovered a new role for Raphinha, but the most important thing is that he’s happy too. Doing this job is different because sometimes he’s not in contact with the ball.
"When you’re a winger, you have the ball most of the time, so this position is different. He has to be ready to attack the space behind the defenders. So it’s different for him. We expected him to do well, but not at this level. But his quality is different, it’s huge. That’s why I think he can play there.
"He can do it as a right winger, left winger, centre forward, and also as a number 10. He’s a player who gives everything for the team. He’s a complete player. That’s why we’re happy."
Does Barca still want to sign Julian Alvarez?
"Again? (laughs) Look, we... The thing with Julian has nothing to do with Raphinha. Because we knew perfectly well that this season, for me, a different number nine was leaving, the best number nine, which is Robert Lewandowski. We’d love for time to stand still so we could keep watching all the greats as always, but it’s a matter of age, it’s a matter of time.
"Robert arrived at the right moment, gave everything for Barca, we won titles, but there were moments of change, and he needed that too. It’s not easy, because he’s a true number nine. For us, the idea was always to bring in a player with mobility, with the ability to link up, and Julian was one of them. It wasn’t possible, we made an offer, we’ve already talked about this too much.
"The club always said they wouldn’t sell him and we had to look for other solutions. With Gabriel, a lot of people didn’t understand, but it wasn’t that Gabriel wasn’t in our plans, it’s that we didn’t know his situation, because there was a lot of talk about him possibly renewing. And when we decided that Julian was impossible, we started looking for solutions, and Gabriel was perfect for us, given that Raphinha was already becoming a number nine.
"So the idea hasn’t changed, the idea was to look for a player of this same profile, but Julian is in the past, we have to move on, we’re happy with the others, I hope he does well too, that he’s happy at his club. And in the end, that’s it, there are many deals, many signings that don’t happen, that’s football.
"Many times there are players who don’t come, they also try to take our players. That’s football, it’s a bit like that, but we’re happy with what we have, and we wish those who couldn’t be with us to be happy and content."