Ferrer: "I know how do this"

Barcelona presidential candidate Jaume Ferrer gave an interview to Catalan local radio station Radio Cabrera and Catalan online sports paper Yoya.


Will you continue with the model of a coach plus a sports director? If so, will that be with Txiki?
I believe in the sports model that has been put in place over these last years and that has as pillars the coach of the first team, the sports director and the youth director. Our model is to invest in the academy, so that as many players as possible can become first team players, and to sign players that make the difference. I count on Txiki, I think that so far he has done a very good job, he has the ideal personality to be sports director and although I know about his intention to leave at the end of the season, which is when his contract runs out, I will try to convince him to continue.

What can you bring to Barça in case you would be president that the other candidates cannot provide?
All the candidates are certainly great Barcelona fans and can do very well, but what I can offer is my experience in this club. It's clear to me how I should do this, and all the people in this board know how to do it, because since 2003 we are managing the club, we have participated in the growth both in the sports and in the economic area. We know how to do it and we will explain to the club member that we will continue with the same model, which is still only half-way. The next years are crucial to make sure that FC Barcelona becomes a world reference.

Are you, given the current state of things, still in favour of the Foster project as it was presented to us back in the days?
I am in favour of the remodelling of the stadium, and it should be renewed for two clear reasons. For comfort reasons, for the elderly, for people who have a disability, to have more comfortable seats. As in most stadiums today, people go there to enjoy football with maximum comfort and safety. The other reason is the fact that we have to compete against clubs with new stadiums, with a capacity of income that our stadium at this moment doesn't have. We have to build more boxes for companies, and this will also affect the price of the season-tickets of the members, who will not have to pay as much because the revenues will come from the companies. So we should remodel the stadium to be competitive in the coming years. The Foster project should be reviewed but you must take into account that Foster only gave us a scale model, nothing more. When we have obtained the reclasification of the Miniestadi zone and the municipal authorizations we will see what we should do but we're not talking about figures of 300 millions that have been out there. We need to act with common sense.

What do you think about pacts with other candidates? Would you have any problem with including a candidate in your project or joining someone else?
I believe that now is not the time for pacts. It is the moment to present projects and to explain them to the club members. I'm not refusing any pact, I am open for anyone who wants to work for Barça, what we want is to unite not divide. But it is not the time for deals.

Do you think it is positive that you are seen as a candidate who can reach an agreement with everyone, someone who doesn't have real enemies?
Not having enemies is how it should be, we are all Barcelona fans, we all want Barcelona to do well, we have to get along, to be united and to build not divide. This is my way of thinking. I believe in an inclusive club where everyone has a place. All we have do is act with common sense and wisdom.

this was the second part of this interview. you can read the first part here and the third part here.

Read more:
Ferrer: "The president should give the example"
Who are the people behind Jaume Ferrer?
Ferrer doesn't want Laporta to campaign

interview: uri bruguera