Minguella: "It will be easy to run this year"

Possible presidential candiate Josep Maria Minguella gave an interview to Catalan sports paper El 9 Esportiu.


Did you already decide if you will take part in the elections?
I've always lived everything that relates to Barça in a very intense way, and especially the elections. I won't deny that I would like to run, but one should take into account many circumstances.

Which ones?
On the one hand, I am very aware that I'm now seven years older than when I ran last time. When the elections will be held, I will almost be seventy years old, and although I'm in great shape and still very active, I need to start to value a number of things.

Does this mean that Minguella is no longer needed, contrary to what your slogan during the last campaign said?
What I still think is that we need to improve the electoral spectrum. There must be a candidacy that has nothing to do with Laporta. Because not taking into account Guixà, Godall and Ferrer and Rosell and Benedito are all people who have been with Laporta. That's a reality. Some have stayed with him until the end and others have left, but all have shared the same core values. Just like Ferran Soriano, if he would also run in the end. And that is not good. This campaign can't just be about laportism and anti-laportism. We are a club with more than 170.000 members and there must be other ideas than pro or anti Laporta. And I don't say this because I'm against Laporta. I say this because we are a big club and there must be other options, other ways of understanding the club. You could say that the same happened when there was nuñism and anti-nuñism [josep lluís núñez was the president of fc barcelona from 1978 until 2000], and that's not good. Therefore, I want to keep on waiting and see how everything evolves. But I insists that to me it would seem very poor for the club that, taking into account the whole history of this club, all projects would come from "laportists" and "anti-laportistes". There are other ways of thinking.

Will you be part of a candidacy?
Until now, nobody has offered that to me, but the truth is that I haven't been looking for it either. I will be very attentive to everything that will happen, because what happens to the club is like happening to my own skin. I launch an appeal to people with a strong Barcelona feeling to make a step forward. Even more so since it will be easy to run this year. Because a candidate doesn't have to look for coaches or players. He just has to fix the stadium a little and to offer the club member more transparency. I would ask all candidates to behave in a serious way because during the campaign hundred thousand things are being promised, but after the elections everyone forgets about the member and the latter only serves to pay the membership card and the season-ticket.

The issue of the bank guarantees is also a setback for your decision?
It is something that plays a role. I've always said that the statutes of the club should be changed regarding this point and I don't just say this for myself. There are very valid people with a lot of skills that can't even consider to run, and that's a loss for the club. They are people who can never express their opinions because there is this obstacle of the guarantee and the cost of a campaign that everyone has to finance from his own pocket.

Do you expect a clean campaign?
I think that the members don't deserve a dirty campaign. It's obvious that it will be very tough, a confrontation of two options. With people very close to Laporta and others who left with a lot of troubles and a lot of resentment. But I hope that common sense and wisdom will rule and that, more than attacking each other, they will defend their own ideas.

What do you think about the fact that there is more than one continuity candidacy?
First I would say that it is logical that many directors want to continue. Being a director or the president of Barça when things are going well is the best thing. In moments of success and with all the enthusiasm surrounding the club, it's normal that everybody wants to continue with this project. Now, what I don't understand is that there's more than one candidacy. There seems to be a lack of flexibility between them as well as some selfishness that leads to not being able to put together a single list. They are part of a same project and therefore there shouldn't be two or three interpreters of that. What they will do is split the votes and help the other options. Although it's licit, it's not a very smart attitude.

this was the first part of this interview. you will be able to read the second part on this blog in the coming days with minguella talking about the campaign and looking back at the presidency of laporta.

Read more:
Will former super-agent run for president?
Candidates disapprove Laporta's party behaviour
Minguella hoping for non-Laporta linked candidate

interview: àngel ponz