Maximum happiness at Barça: Joan Laporta confirms CAT's unexpected bomb

CAT, Barça's mascot, has become one of Joan Laporta's greatest successes. The Catalan club considered creating a mascot that would represent the club's values, and CAT was the result. CAT's first appearances weren't entirely positive, since its debut coincided with the team's weakest streak, but little by little it won the fans' hearts.

According to Barça's website, "CAT is a wildcat, a feline native to Catalonia that has in its DNA all those elements characteristic of Barça." It's a figure that perfectly represents what Joan Laporta and his team wanted to convey. As we've already seen throughout last season with its appearances, its success has been total: it's become a new source of revenue.

CAT wins Joan Laporta's heart with its success

Today, CAT is a symbol of unity and joy for Barça fans. It's become a mass idol, as its social media show: it already has over one million followers on Instagram. Not only that, since economically its pull has been a pleasant surprise for Joan Laporta and the board, who enthusiastically celebrate the great reception it's had.

Throughout the season, we've seen CAT accompany Joan Laporta to various institutional events. CAT was present at Sant Jordi and also gave him the famous "Mona" on Easter Monday. The mascot has also been seen celebrating the treble or running across the Montjuïc field with Lamine Yamal's younger brother: it's a mass idol.

In a moment of greatest need, Joan Laporta has pulled a new "lever" out of his sleeve to generate unexpected revenue. CAT's merchandise works perfectly, as shown by the collection launched last April 22. Two t-jerseys, two sweatjerseys, one cap, and two different designs of pairs of socks for the youngest fans were the selected clothing items; but there's much more.

Joan Laporta expects many more joys from CAT

Joan Laporta has a plan. "He's assessing CAT mascot's commercial potential, working to identify possible sponsors who may be interested in directly linking their image with Barça's mascot." This is reflected on the Catalan club's website, which shows CAT's importance in future plans.

For now, Joan Laporta's next challenge is to expand CAT's available merchandise. There has been talk of marketing stuffed animals and similar items. Without a doubt, a great success, another one from the best president in Barça's history.