The new sporting director Roberto Fernández spoke with Mundo Deportivo and L'Esportiu, giving many details of his job at the club and clarifying various decisions that will be made in the coming months.

What does returning to Barça mean for Robert?

You never leave Barça. After you’re here for a few years you can’t leave. You’re never really apart from the club or the city. I have houses here, lots of friends… my daughter works in Barcelona. You can’t stay apart from the club either, because it leaves a mark on you. The veterans association makes sure you stay connected. That I was trusted with the job of technical secretary now is a privilege.

It’s a job with a lot of responsibility.

I’ve worked with the technical secretaries for Atlético and Valencia. I know it’s a hard job, but I’m very excited. Like in all the other places I’ve been, I always have a series of values I respect: Effort, like when I was a player, passion and motivation. And I know I need a bit of luck, because I’ll make a lot of decisions and I should get the majority right, even though everyone should be aware that no technical secretary can get everything right. I know I’ll have a lot of responsibility, but I’m not afraid. I have a good team and I know the club well. That helps.

Have you asked Zubizarreta for information about the job?

I spoke to him, but not to ask for information. Andoni is a good friend and I said that from the first day I got here so that people wouldn’t say things that aren’t true. We met when we were 16 years old, in a tournament of the Spanish national team in Monaco and since them we’ve had plenty of time together at the national team, at Barça, at Valencia… In Valencia we lived 100 meters from one another and I found him his house. When the opportunity for me to join Barça came up I spoke to him because I didn’t want him to find out from the press. When I reached an agreement with Barça I also informed him.

But didn’t you ask him about his job?

Andoni had a different job than I do. He was in charge of the first team, the B team and Juvenil A and I’m just in charge of the first team.

The goalkeepers, Rakitic, Suárez, even Vermaelen. Looks like Zubizarreta got a lot of things right in his final year.

I’ve always said it. There’s no sporting director that gets everything right. What you must try to do is to minimize the errors. Zubizarreta’s work was magnificent. He’s a hard worker and he proved that in all his years at Barça. He left behind a great squad.

Is there a difference between working for Barça and working for other clubs?

It’s different because Barça is a very important club and you have to know how to negotiate while representing it. There will be times when it’s easier, because of the resources Barça has and other times when it won’t be because there are clubs who are expecting us.

When did Barça first contact you?

Sometime mid-January. The first proposal was for me to join that technical commission that they formed, but I rejected that. After that we spoke on different occasions, but I knew I had to meet the coach before I decided to work here. If the coach and I didn’t have a good relationship it wasn’t worth coming here. I spoke to him the day after the Champions League final. Until then I hadn’t decided anything, I was just interested. Speaking to him about many things was essential.

Did you know that Luis Enrique was staying?

No, I didn’t know anything about his situation.

Did you talk about transfers?

I knew some things about the signings, but at that time I was talking to the club about other things. The important thing was to talk to the coach and see if there was a good ‘feeling’ between us.

Were you consulted when the club signed Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan?

I don’t want and I shouldn’t talk about these things.

Why didn’t you want to join the commission?

In January I thought that what the team needed was tranquility. It was a difficult moment and I understood that the club needed to give the players and the coach a calm environment because the results would come, the squad was magnificent and Luis Enrique was working well. Then it all started working and the team did what I thought it could: it fought for titles and won all of them.

Is that what you advised the president?

I told him that there was no need to do anything. Just let time pass, because the work was already done. No other decisions were needed. You don’t need to do something just because something happened. If things are done right, like they were, you just have to give them time and they will work. I wasn’t necessary in the sporting commission at that time.

Why didn’t Bartomeu announce your name during the campaign?

You can analyze his campaign a bit, his line of thinking and you can get your own conclusions.

Will you get along with Luis Enrique? The coach the technical director tend to not see eye to eye in terms of signings.

We’ll reach a consensus. Lots of people think that we’ll have problems or that one or the other will always win when the decision is made. I have experience, I’ve worked at Valencia and at Atlético, in the end if the situation is bad we’ll both end up paying. We see football the same way, otherwise I wouldn’t be here, even if this is Barça. That’s why I said that the relationship with the coach was vital for me. When I left our first meeting I thought ‘This is good’. When you have a good ‘feeling’ with someone you can tell. We were similar as players too. And many times the footballer is the same off the pitch as he is on it. We’ll work well together, I have no doubt.

Do you recall when you met?

I was talking to him about this the other day. It was at the Vicente Calderón. He was with the Spanish U21s and I was with the national team.

Do you think your past as an agent will put you in uncomfortable situations now?

I’ve always told the truth and I didn’t hide that in these last years I’ve worked for an agency, a job which helped me learn a lot of things. There will be people that don’t like this and will use it to attack me. I will sign players that are good. When people will get to know me and how I work they will see that I don’t allow anyone, regardless of how much of a friend he is, to cross the line. I know where I am and what my responsibility is. Barça is above everything else. I’ll always tell the truth.

In Tbilisi you were also honest regarding Pedro and you got criticized for it.

You can’t say the whole truth. Pedro knows that I have a great respect for him as a player and as a person.

The thing is whether you should have said that he asked to leave or not.

You’re right. I didn’t give it much importance, but it’s obvious that things got ugly. But I know that in my job I will receive a lot of criticism. I have to live with that.

It’s better if you get the criticized instead of the coach.

Exactly. It’s better that I take the hits and the coach can focus on his team.

In principle you will be here for six years. Is it your obligation to think of a post-Messi Barça?

No, Leo will play here all his life.

But he won’t play forever.

Unfortunately, he won’t play forever, but we still have plenty of Messi to go. He’s got a lot of years left in football, people think he’ll retire faster, but a player as smart as he is will know how to position himself on the pitch so that he can always be decisive. Of course, you get older and you lose certain things, but he’s so intelligent that his performance will always be extraordinary. He has that gift.

Is Messi the best player in history?

Yes, I have no doubt. And I doubt that anyone could ever reach this level of performance again. He’s a beast. There can be another talented player, but with his consistency, year after year and his ability to improve over and over again…

How do you see him?

He’s happy, very engaged. When you don’t know him personally, from the distance you only see his performances. On a closer look he’s even better.

Some coaches in the academy didn’t allow Messi to dribble. Do you think that La Masia is sometimes too academic?

You have to dribble when and how you should, in the final part of the pitch. But we’re talking about a player of on outstanding level. If there’s a player who doesn’t have that ability you have to tell him not to dribble. Attacking players have to dribble; the ones in the center of the pitch have to pass, to create. Those are the commandments. Then there’s Messi who has to do whatever he has to do.

Now that you’ve gotten to know Messi, Neymar and Suárez closer, do you think it’s the best forward line you’ve ever seen?

They are extraordinary on the pitch and they’re also extraordinary off the pitch too. That’s important. Lots of times, from the outside you wonder how they are, how they act, because you have no information. They’re very good people, they’re all amazing.

Do you see a long life ahead for this attacking trident?

Yes, because they’re all relatively young.

Have you spoken to the four captains?

Not yet.

Pedro told Marca in an interview that Iniesta intervened for him to make the club accept his transfer.

Iniesta is a vital person to the team and I’ve spoken to him a number of times.

Bartomeu wants you to have a good relationship with the squad.

And I do have it will almost everyone. We’re very lucky because the squad is formed of great players who are also great people.

The squad won the treble last season. With the FIFA ban, Arda and Aleix came. Is it enough?

It’s clear that we didn’t want Pedro to leave. He has been an important player in the history of the club. He’s had a great attitude. Both when he played and when he didn’t. We know that his transfer brings a double problem: him leaving and us not being able to replace him until January. We could have signed someone now and made him wait like Arda and Aleix, but I think we didn’t need to rush into anything. We have time to decide if we have to bring in someone, considering that the winter market is difficult. If the team needs it we will do it, but right now the team has Sandro and Munir, two very important players whose evolution we have to see.

What will Arda and Aleix bring to the team?

They are two proven players, who know the league, who have adapted well to the club. They will improve the team’s level and that’s hard because it’s a very good team. They’re very excited to be here.

They’d have to be, because they signed knowing that they won’t play until January.

Exactly. I think that both of them will give us a lot. And both of them can play in various positions and that’s also important for the coach.

This start of the season has given the team two unexpected resources: Vermaelen and Sergi Roberto as a full back.

We’re very happy for them and for the team. Sergi Roberto has started very well; he’s at a good level. And Vermaelen has gotten over his injury and started the season very well. It’s important that the squad has a good level, that always helps, internal competition is needed in a football team. We can say that they’re two new signings.

Will you replace Pedro in the winter transfer market?

From now to January plenty of things can change. Besides, signing players is easy, but signing a player who is good for Barça is very difficult. More so for a forward. Knowing that they won’t play a lot if a difficult thing, but Barça is Barça. Barça wins titles, competes at a high level… It’s a difficult situation, but a blessed one.

Is it better to bring a young player who comes to learn or a veteran who already assumes he will play few minutes?

We will have various options because maybe your first option won’t come because he doesn’t want to or is expensive or he’s going to another club… You have to analyze if we want to spend that money on a player who won’t play when maybe you need to invest in another position. Sometimes we will make decisions and people will ask why and the answer will be because that’s what’s best for the club.

Will you control the scouting?

Yes, Urbano will be in charge of that, he’s very close to me, kind of like a brother. We work in the same office. Then there’s Luis (González), Chechu (Rojo), Pep (Boada), Alex (García), Miki (Albert) and maybe someone else will join too.

Are you worried about Nolito’s renewal with Celta? It looks like his release clause is now €30 million.

No, it’s his decision.

Zubizarreta thought that you can’t pay a lot of money for a player who was Barça’s and was allowed to leave for free. Would you pay for Nolito?

I’d pay for any player who is good and necessary for Barça.

You could end up paying more for Nolito than you got for Pedro.

You have to analyze things well.

Have you agreed to anything with him or Celta?

No.

Do you like him?

I signed him for Valencia when he was 15. Luis Enrique also knows him well.

At your presentation press conference, you didn’t guarantee Sandro and Munir’s continuity.

I had just gotten here and anything could have happened. If Pedro would have stayed the outlook would have been different. Without Pedro, they can’t go. That’s why I’m saying that things change fast.

Are these four months like an exam for them?

I don’t see it like that.

Did you like Gerson?

When I got here I had to decide about Gerson. I couldn’t decide without having seen anything from him. We have kept a buy option on him because we thought that was the best solution. It was a big investment that I couldn’t make without evaluating him myself. You have to think things over.

The market is very inflated now. Manchester United paid €50 million for Martial.

He’s a great prospect. He made an impression last season and he’s very good.

Good enough for €50 million?

That’s a lot of money, but if a club pays it… He has a great potential for improvement. But I’d rather not talk about another club’s players.

Then how much would Messi or Neymar be worth?

The comparison isn’t worth it.

Are you handling Neymar’s renewal?

No. From a sporting point of view, which is my responsibility, everything is clear. It’s in the hands of the executives.

From a sporting point of view, he’s the second most important player?

From a sporting point of view he’s at a maximum level, I’ve known him for a lot of years. I wanted to sign him for Atlético.

Is the €190-million offer from Manchester United for him true?

The club hasn’t received any offer. There’s talk about lots of things that aren’t true. Neymar is happy and will stay at Barça.

How are Rafinha and Adriano’s renewals going?

They’re almost ready to sign. Rafinha’s renewal is imminent. We’ve had meetings and we’ll sign the contract soon. He wants to stay here, he’s happy and his dad who I played with at Valencia is happy here and has a good relationship with the club. Should happen soon.

Are there academy players who can get into the first team now?

Yes, there are players who can reach the first team. But playing for Barça is very difficult because the demands are very high. Our obligation is to help them reach this objective.

Is Lee one of those players?

He’s very talented.

But he hasn’t played in three years.

You’re right, but at these ages you can get into good shape very fast.

Don’t you think loans should be encouraged more? Even more so with the B team in Segunda B?

That’s what we’ve done with Adama, Halilovic, Denis Suárez… I’m a fan of loans. They’re good because players have to play.

Adama was sold and he’s only 19. Wouldn’t have been better to loan him to a good team with a good coach so that he would improve for a possible return? Aston Villa doesn’t look like the best destination.

That’s a good question. I can think one thing, but in the end the player and his agent decide where they’re going. Lots of times. And you know it. In some cases they don’t, but in this one they did.

Don’t you think that the club should have more power than the agent? Didn’t anyone from the club sit down with him to convince him?

Of course, I suppose Pep Segura talked to him. For example, I talked with Halilovic a lot of times before he left.

Adama and Deulofeu have left. Is there no place for pure wingers at Barça anymore?

Barça will always want to play the same way, to make the field wider. It’s true that now there are players who play on the wing opposed to their dominant foot and like to come inside more, but that’s because Barça needs the wide players to score too. You can’t leave all the scoring responsibility to the striker. The pure wingers are players who dribble on the outside and then cross the ball. I don’t think that their time is over at Barça, because you’ll always need players to make the pitch wide, but it’s true that right now there is this caveat. Adama and Deulofeu are young and Barça still has them controlled. They can return.

Halilovic is playing in La Liga and Samper, a kid who has grown up here and has refused generous offers since he was in the Cadete stage, wasn’t allowed to do the same. Isn’t this unfair to him?

I didn’t decide this, but I respect the decision. I shouldn’t answer this.

Halilovic benefited from a clause which assured his promotion to the first team. Will you maintain these kinds of clauses or will you eliminate them?

I don’t like things done by obligation. With Halilovic I had to convince the player and his agent that he hasn’t done anything yet, that he has plenty of talent, but he should go to a team in La Liga with a coach who we have a good relationship with us. But he should know that he will be protected for fifteen or twenty days because after that he’ll have to prove if he’s good enough to play there and good enough to return.

If Luis Enrique would tell you today that he won’t continue next season, do you know who you would sign a coach?

I don’t even think of that.

That’s the obligation of a sporting director, looking beyond the present. On the pitch and on the bench.

If that happens I will know. But I’m not thinking about this now. Luis Enrique is our coach and he has to stay here for a lot of years. That’s my challenge. I can’t think of anything else because he’s the ideal coach.

Could you be Barça’s coach?

Never.

But you are a coach.

I’ll never coach a team. I have enough work as it is. I’ll go to watch Barça’s trainings because I enjoy it. But I won’t coach.

Will you always travel with the first team for away games?

No. I will go to Champions League games and lots of league games, but when I have to travel to watch other games someone else will go with the first team. I have to watch football.

The start of the season has been good, but it feels like the referee performances weren’t the best.

I’ll never talk about the referees. I won’t waste my time. There will be lots of important decisions made in the opposition’s box because Barça attacks a lot, but I won’t discuss them. I know what happened against Málaga and in other games, but I won’t waste my energy on this.

Doesn’t it seem to you, like Simeone said, that this league is being prepared for Madrid to win it?

I don’t dare to say something like that. Our intention is to win the league and we will do everything in our power to win it.

Is the B team playing in Segunda B a problem?

It would be better if it was in Segunda A, but you have to look at the bright side. The players promoted from Juvenil A will have it easier to play for the B team. And in the end what we’re looking for is to play Barça’s way. And for the youngsters it’s easier to be promoted to Segunda B. The other day Carles Aleña got his debut. I don’t know if he could have if the B team was in Segunda A.