Soriano to run for president

Catalan radio station Ona FM claims that former Barcelona economic vice-president Ferran Soriano will soon officially announce that he will run for president of FC Barcelona in the upcoming elections later this year.

The chairman of Spanish airline Spanair would lead a candidacy that would include current board members, among which Barcelona first vice-president Alfons Godall and Barcelona treasurer Xavier Sala i Martín, and former board members, among which ex-sports vice-president Marc Ingla. Barcelona chief executive Joan Oliver would not be part of the candidacy.

Soriano would make his candidacy public after he has solved some issues he has left on the table at Spanair. Barcelona president Joan Laporta was reportedly unwilling to accept Soriano as candidate but would now think that it would be the best option to win the elections.

Catalan sports paper El 9 Esportiu claims that there have been intensified talks between Godall and Soriano over the last days, in which the current vice-president would have accepted to leave Soriano the first place of a joint candidacy. With now mainly the discussion on who should be part of the list left, the deal would be announced at the latest in two or three weeks time.

Barcelona treasurer Xavier Sala i Martín has in the meantime nevertheless denied on his Facebook page that Soriano would head the candidacy he will be part of: "The reports that the continuity candidacy will be led by Ferran Soriano are false! The continuity candidacy will be led by Alfonso Godall.

The integrationist character of Alfons makes him trying to restore relations with people as valid as Ferran Soriano. But the leader (and the next president of the club) is Alfons Godall. There is no doubt about that nor is this an object of negotiation. Period."

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