Current president Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned earlier this week, along with his board of directors, ahead of an expected vote of no confidence next month.
It comes after months of widespread criticism over the club's worsening finances and the team's decline on the pitch, which came to a head with their 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals in August.
Font has quickly become the frontrunner to succeed Bartomeu and exclusively told Sky Sports News he has a clear plan to bring back the glory days to La Liga giants involving the old Barca dynasty breathing new life into the current one.
"Replacing the best generation the world of football has ever seen, which I believe we have had over the last decade, is a big challenge," Font said.
"Particularly at a time when competition is intense and many clubs are owned by very powerful owners.
"FC Barcelona also need a significant investment to rebuild the stadium and all in a world which has been hit with one of the worst crises ever (coronavirus).
The Dutchman has only started two League Cup games since arriving from Ajax and it could be some time yet before he gets regular game time
Manchester United’s inconsistent start to the season has prompted many questions. Why can’t they win at home? What’s wrong with the defence? Can Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes play in the same midfield?
However, the most pressing question – or "mystery", as Gary Neville put it – is: why can't Donny van de Beek get a start?
The Dutchman only set foot on the pitch at Old Trafford on Saturday evening to perform warm-down drills along with the rest of the unused substitutes.
While Chelsea manager Frank Lampard showed off five recruits from this summer’s spending spree, his Manchester United counterpart Ole Gunnar Solskjaer picked a team of players who were all at the club last season, with Edinson Cavani and Van de Beek having to settle for places on the bench.
Cavani, of course, made a late cameo but Van de Beek cut a soggy, forlorn figure throughout, left sitting in the south stand behind the dugout for the entire game.
While the 23-year-old was watching United fail dismally to break down a defensive Chelsea side, his former club, Ajax, racked up a record-breaking 13-0 win away to VVV. Van de Beek would have been forgiven for wondering if he should have stayed in his native Netherlands.
In fairness, the Dutchman has settled in quickly at United. He gets on well with his new team-mates and has been credited with giving the dressing room a lift – but he’s yet to be given a real opportunity to make a similarly positive impact on the field.
He’s started just twice, in the League Cup, and been afforded just 59 minutes of game time in the Premier League. Solskjaer is already getting fed up with being asked "Where's Donny?"
The manager keeps insisting that Van de Beek's time will come – but when?
“He’s an absolutely top footballer and personality, humble and hard-working but eager to play more," Solskjaer acknowledged. "You'll see him throughout the season. It's going be a long, long season and you'll see him."
It's a fair point, of course. Sensible use of the squad is going to be integral to United's hopes of success in what is set to be the most gruelling and intensive season in football history.
Solskjaer has already admitted that he made a mistake in rushing Paul Pogba into action, as the Frenchman was still feeling the effects of Covid-19.
However, Van de Beek has had no such health issues. He is fit and ready to play, so it's hardly surprising that some United fans are questioning Solskjaer's handling of a player who scored on his United debut against Crystal Palace.
After all, how is Van de Beek supposed to adapt and improve is he isn’t given the chance to play? It's certainly baffling that even with Pogba relegated to the bench, the former Ajax ace can't find a way into Solskjaer's starting line-up.
On a basic level, there’s some understanding as to why Solskjaer named the same side against Chelsea that had beaten Newcastle the weekend before.
However, given they were struggling to break down a team that had conceded more Premier League goals away from home (42) than any other team since the start of last season, why wasn’t Van de Beek summoned from the bench?
“What was he signed for? I listened to Solskjaer’s press conference and he had nothing but praise for Donny,” former Ajax coach Danny Blind told Ziggo Sport. “Yet, he did not even give him a brief cameo.
"He bought him to beef up the squad. Why not use that squad depth?”
Blind’s right. Cavani, who had not played any competitive football since March, was deemed a suitable substitute but Van de Beek wasn’t.
It was a strange decision with United lacking creativity in midfield; the kind of dynamism, cleverness and subtlety that Van de Beek was essentially signed to provide.
Part of the explanation for his exclusion could be down to what former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra referred to as "safety-jacket football".
Fred and McTominay have been preferred in midfield for the last three games because they serve as a much-needed shield for the backline, meaning there is only one other place available and Bruno Fernandes is the obvious choice to fill it.
Indeed, it would be a surprise if the trio don't start again when Julian Nagelsmann’s RB Leipzig side turn up at Old Trafford on Wednesday night for a crucial Champions League clash.
There’s an undoubted air of caution around Solskjaer's team selections at the moment, which is understandable to some extent, given United were hammered 6-1 at home by Tottenham just three weeks ago.
They may have beaten Paris Saint-Germain last Tuesday but Solskjaer has vivid memories of what happened the last time United beat the Ligue 1 champions away from home.
After their famous 2019 triumph at the Parc des Princes, the Red Devils managed to win only two of their following 12 fixtures, losing eight. Solskjaer does not want – and cannot afford – a repeat of that form.
So, with the big games now coming thick and fast, it’s hard to see when Solskjaer will deem it appropriate to start Van de Beek. If the versatile midfielder has to wait until the next League Cup game, then it’s going to be a very long eight weeks for the £40 million ($52m) man.
However, Solskjaer is adamant that Van de Beek's time will come. He says that the summer signing will have a “very big” role to play in United's season.
He just needs to be patient. And the fans do too. In the words of McTominay: "It’s not time to panic for Donny."
The Frenchman continues to attract interest from Europe's biggest clubs and Silva is keen to see his side join the race to sign him
Bernardo Silva admits he'd love to see Manchester City try to sign Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe.
The 21-year-old, who already has six goals from five Ligue 1 games this season, continues to be linked with a future move to Real Madrid.
PSG club ambassador Youri Djorkaeff recently revealed the plan for Mbappe is for the forward to help the French side win the Champions League before he signs for a "big club".
While Real Madrid are reportedly front of the queue for the France international, Premier League side Liverpool have also been linked and Silva seemingly hopes City could enter the race too.
Asked which France player he'd like to take to City following Portugal's draw with Les Bleus, Silva told L'Equipe: "Kylian Mbappe. He was already a special player for Monaco when I was there and he's also a friend. If we could buy him, that wouldn't be bad!"
City could certainly use the attacking spark of Mbappe right now as Pep Guardiola's side currently sit 13th in the Premier League after a stuttering start to the new campaign.
Silva has called for changes to be made at the Etihad to ensure they remain competitive moving forward and admits playing without fans as a result of the coronavirus pandemic has changed the complexion of the game.
"Without the supporters, there is no longer this pleasure, this atmosphere, this passion. We miss the supporters very much," Silva said.
"We have to accept reality, everyone has to change their way of life a little to try to protect us. But the truth, we are not going to lie, it is not the same football."
City travel to Marseille in the Champions League on Tuesday night having won their group opener against Porto 3-1.
Silva has good memories of playing against Marseille during his time with Monaco and knows just how challenging the away trip can be.
"I scored my first goal with Monaco against Marseille. During my last season at ASM, I also scored twice at the Velodrome," he added.
"It's not easy to play at the Velodrome, even if we know that now it's a different reality without the supporters. It will be a physical, complicated match."
The Germany midfielder is settled in the Spanish capital and has no intention of pushing for a move
Toni Kroos says he has had offers to leave Real Madrid but turned them down as he intends to see out his playing days at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 30-year-old is now into his seventh season in the Spanish capital, having won 13 major honours including three Champions League titles since his move from Bayern Munich in 2014.
There has been some speculation in recent months linking Kroos with a move back to his homeland to see out the final few years of his playing career.
Kroos, though, is not interested in a return home just yet and plans to remain in the Spanish capital until retirement.
"I always like to go back to Germany because it is my country and it is my language," Kroos told reporters. But I really enjoy life in Madrid and playing for Real Madrid.
"I have had offers, but I never spoke with other clubs because my idea is to finish my career at Real Madrid ".
Kroos also insists the Real Madrid squad still has faith in coach Zinedine Zidane after the Frenchman came under scrutiny in the wake of some recent poor results.
Although Madrid head into Tuesday's Champions League encounter with Borussia Monchengladbach on the back of a 3-1 Clasico win over Barcelona, prior back-to-back defeats to promoted Cadiz and a depleted Shakhtar Donetsk raised questions.
Both shock losses came at home, with the 3-2 reverse to Shakhtar – in which they found themselves 3-0 down at half-time – seeing Los Blancos playing catch-up right away in Champions League Group B.
The Clasico victory at Camp Nou on Saturday prevented the pressure from increasing, though another poor result in Europe will surely have Zidane on the back foot again.
But Kroos is adamant such defeats are not on the coach.
"For our part, there have never been doubts with Zidane," he said. "We lose and win together.
"It is easy if something is not going well to say that there are doubts, but the result of the Clasico showed that it is not like that.
"If you play for Madrid you have to accept that if you lose matches there is criticism. The important thing is how you react and we did very well, but it is only one victory and you have to continue like this."
The Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund stars were earmarked as potential targets, but deals for the duo were never close
Former Barcelona adviser Arieda Braida says that the club never had any intention of signing Paul Pogba or Erling Haaland as he detailed his messy exit from the club.
Braida originally joined Barca in 2015 when he was told he would be part of a sporting committee involving president Josep Maria Bartomeu, vice president Javier Bordas, Jordi Mestre and Alberto Soler.
As part of that committee, Braida was expected to be responsible for negotiations with foreign clubs, having been responsible bringing the likes of Ruud Gullit, Kaka, Andriy Shevchenko and Thiago Silva to Milan during his time as sporting director of the Italian side.
However, Braida says that committee never truly got going, claiming those in charge routinely dismissed his suggestions before his eventual firing in August 2019.
Braida refused to accept the terms of his dismissal, which came with two years left on his contract, and the case is set to go to court in December.
In an interview with Marca, Braida says that one negotiation he was involved with was to bring Pogba to the club back when the now-Manchester United midfielder was at Juventus.
Braida says it wasn't much of a negotiation at all, though, as there was never any intention to actually bring him to Barca.
"It's not a lie. It is true that Albert Soler and I went to Milan and met with the Juventus board," he said. "But despite the talks, there was no real intention to sign him.
"In fact, Pogba ended up staying that summer in Turin and did not go to another club. I said he was a great player, I was talking about it with Albert Soler, with whom I consider that he had a good personal relationship, but again, professionally we could not work together because I was not allowed."
In addition to missing out on Pogba, Braida says Barca also passed on signing Haaland, who was earmarked as a target alongside the likes of Inter's Nico Barella and Roma's Nicolo Zaniolo, players that went on to become Italian internationals.
"They did not give me the responsibility, they put others in charge of this work," he said. "I was studying players and I wrote down some names like Haaland from Borussia Dortmund when he was still playing for Rosenborg. But at the club, they told me no, that he didn't have the Barca profile.
"From Italy, I also suggested other names, such as Barella, who is now at Inter, or Zaniolo, from Roma. But if you do not have the responsibility to execute this because it has been given to others, you cannot do anything. I was separated."
Braida went on to add that he had no real relationship with Barca president Bartomeu, who is currently under fire amid a vote of no confidence from the club's members.
"You say that I know him, but in reality I had nothing to do with him," he said. "At first it is true that we talked a little, but later it was non-existent. This was also new for me because normally in Milan, I did have contact with my superior. I think that talking once a year is not having a great relationship.
"I met him several times in the sports complex and we greeted each other, but I had very little relationship with him. We didn't talk every day or every week."
The City academy graduate has been backed as a short-term solution their striking struggles
Manchester City are “missing a trick” by not re-signing Daniel Sturridge to bolster their injury-hit frontline, according to his former City team-mate Micah Richards.
The 31-year-old is currently a free agent after his contract at Trabzonspor was terminated in March just six months into a three-year deal shortly before his four-month worldwide ban for breaching betting rules.
Prior to that disappointing spell in Turkey, Sturridge had enjoyed a successful career in the Premier League, having graduated from the City academy in 2006 before going on to play for Chelsea, Bolton, Liverpool and West Brom.
Richards, who played alongside Sturridge at Etihad Stadium, believes the striker is still good enough to play in the top flight and City are making a mistake in not snapping him up.
Pep Guardiola’s side are short of forward options currently with Gabriel Jesus still sidelined with a thigh problem suffered in their season-opening win at Wolves, while Sergio Aguero picked up a hamstring injury during last weekend’s draw at West Ham.
“When he plays football again it might be with another team abroad, but I can't help but think that there are several clubs in the Premier League who are missing a trick by not signing him,” Richards told BBC Sport.
“I would include City in that, just to fill in while Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus are injured. Even if he was half-fit, he would score goals in that side.
“At the moment it almost feels like people have forgotten how good he is, but Daniel still has time to remind them, and show everyone what he is really all about.”
Richards also hit back at suggestions Sturridge is a disruptive influence in the dressing room, while dismissing concerns over his injury record.
The former England international was particularly critical of former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan, who suggested Sturridge was a “problem player” shortly after his departure from Liverpool in 2019.
“I thought what he [Jordan] said about him was absolutely disgusting,” added the 32-year-old.
“Jordan called Daniel a 'problem player' and a 'divisive influence' and said he wouldn't go anywhere near him, adding that he 'wouldn't want Sturridge in my dressing room or at my training ground around younger players'.
“I was listening and I was flabbergasted. I phoned Daniel up straight away to ask what had happened and he said he had no idea - he had never dealt with Jordan, and neither had his agent.
“I don't know whether someone else was touting him around various clubs without his authority and they were asking for ridiculous money - that kind of thing does happen. But you cannot tarnish Sturridge because he wasn't involved, and it definitely doesn't justify a personal attack like that.
“Daniel's had to deal with a lot of stick in recent years, mostly to do with his injury record.
“The way it has been reported is that he won't play unless he is 100% fit, which is nonsense. He's been struggling with his hip from a young age but if he could play, he always would.
“In the past, Daniel has considered retirement too, partly because of his injuries but also because of the way he is portrayed in the media. It must have felt like he was fighting a losing battle to prove people wrong.”
The director has said discussions were impacted when the club was forced into isolation earlier this month due to coronavirus cases
Juventus are in talks to renew Paulo Dybala's contract, but managing director Fabio Paratici revealed the club's coronavirus scare made negotiations difficult.
Dybala has two years remaining on his existing deal in Turin but an extension has long been mooted, with the Bianconeri said to be discussing an agreement until 2025.
But no clarity has been forthcoming in the opening weeks of the 2020-21 season.
Paratici is not overly concerned, though, explaining the reason for the delay.
"We're in talks to extend Paulo's contract," he told Sky Sport Italia . "He wants to stay and we want to keep him - he's part of our future.
"It has been a tricky period because we were locked in the hotel for two weeks due to the Covid scare and not allowed to meet anyone.
"But we'll continue the negotiations to find an agreement."
Juve were forced into "fiduciary isolation" earlier this month after two staff members tested positive for Covid-19.
Cristiano Ronaldo has also been missing in recent weeks having contracted the virus on international duty.
The absence of the Juve number seven allowed Dybala to come into the team against Hellas Verona on Sunday for his first start and just second overall appearance of the new campaign.
Dybala made his return off the bench against Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League, and Paratici said ahead of Sunday's game: "Paulo is in better shape physically now.
"Let's not forget he was out for two months with a muscular injury, then had a gastrointestinal infection in Argentina.
"It's right that he now has the opportunity to start after a few run-outs."
Recent Comments