Council linked with Rosell working on ethical code

Last Thursday, the Consell Sènior Blaugrana (Blaugrana Senior Council) publicly presented itself during an event assisted by 100 to 150 people at the Princesa Sofía hotel in Barcelona.

The Consell Sènior Blaugrana wants to unite Barcelona club members who are older than 60 years and are a club member for more than 20 years. The objective of the Council is to provide ideas that can lead to a better management and a better public image of the club.

The executive committee of the Council consists of six people and is presided by Catalan business man Ramón Pont, who is rumoured to be part of the candidacy of former Barcelona sports vice-president Sandro Rosell (read more here). Rosell, who will run for president next year, assisted the event. The committee also includes the fathers of Rosell and of his right-hand man Josep Maria Bartomeu (see below).

The main focus of the Council is at this moment the elaboration of an ethical code for the club which should make the decisions taken by the club more transparent.

A first draft of the code has been drawn up by university professors Antonio Argandoña and Fermín Morales and is based on the principles of legality, honesty and service to the members, loyalty to the club, information and transparency, participation, pluralism and austerity.

Apart from giving some general criteria, the code would more concretely want to avoid certain specific acts, among which getting involved in conflicts of interest, putting pressure on others to obtain a decision in the benefit of oneself or of a third party, hiring relatives as an employee or a commercial partner, disclosing corporate decisions to third parties that are not involved, publicly or privately behaving in a way that damages the image of the club, accepting commissions and accepting gifts that can lead to a lack of objectivity.

The ultimate goal is that, after the upcoming presidential elections, this ethical code would become part of the club's by-laws and that an ethical commission would be put in place to safeguard the code by controlling and sanctioning the acts by the club's directors and executives. The commission would consist of six people and the president of the commission would be part of the board of directors.

Read more:
Rosell working on ethical code
Internet entrepreneur joins Rosell candidacy


members of the executive committee of the consell sènior blaugrana:

Josep Maria Bartomeu
chairman of the TEAM group
>>> father of Josep Maria Bartomeu, who is rumoured to be part of Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell’s team of directors

Ramón Garriga
former chief executive of the TÜV Rheinland group in Spain

Joan Granados
former chief executive of FC Barcelona and former general director of Catalan public media corporation CCRTV
>>> father of Roger Granados, who is rumoured to be part of Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell’s team of directors

Jordi Montané
chairman of the Pontex group

Ramón Pont
chairman of the Borges group
>>> rumoured to be part of Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell’s team of directors

Jaume Rosell
former secretary of FC Barcelona and chairman of the FAR group
>>> father of Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell


picture:
Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell (centre) with the six members of the executive committee of the Senior Blaugrana Council on Thursday 12 November in Barcelona. At Rosell's right hand, you see Ramón Pont, president of the Council, on Rosell's left hand side, you see his father Jaume Rosell.

sources: as, el 9 esportiu, el mundo deportivo, e-notícies, esadir.blogspot.com, pelikano, sport

Sala: "Godall should be the board candidate"

Speaking to Catalan radio station RAC 1, Barcelona director and treasurer Xavier Sala i Martín has made clear that he thinks there will be only one current board member running for president and that this should in his opinion be first vice-president Alfons Godall:

"I'm convinced there will be one continuating candidacy. It hasn't yet been decided who will lead that list, although Alfons Godall could be the right person. If it would depend on me, he would be our candidate but I would accept it if Jaume Ferrer would be the one.

I think Godall could be a good president for the club. He has a more moderate profile than Laporta but he was always on the right side when crucial decisions have been made over the past six years, like the appointments of Txiki and Guardiola, the exit of Ronaldinho, the transfer of Eto'o... All that makes me trust him.

I've been working with him to prepare a candidacy and I'm sure the most critical board members, those who were said to be going their own way, will end up joining us. There always has been more consensus than people have been saying, the differences weren't as big. It's true that some directors were interested in leading a candidacy but there's no talk anymore about two board candidacies.

Our campaign sure won't be a dirty one. We won't spread lies, we don't control news media. We just want to show the people what we have achieved over the past years."

Read more:
One board candidacy suddenly seems very likely
Laporta: "I believe in Sala i Martin"

Poll Result: Can Laporta express his political ideas?

While he's president of Barça, Joan Laporta...

Should keep silence on political issues because of his position: 62,2%
Can publicly and freely express his political ideas: 31,7%
Neutral: 2,7%
Don't know: 3,5%

publishing date poll: 2 november 2009
source: el periódico

check more election poll results here

Franquesa has no plans to take part in elections

Speaking to Catalan local news site cugat.cat, former Barcelona vice-president Joan Franquesa, who resigned last week (read more here), has said that he at this moment doesn't plan to take part in next year's elections:

"I will keep on following the news about the club very closely and I will always stay a Barcelona fan.

I have now taken a step back and although I'm a rather restless person, I don't have any plans to take part in the election process. Maybe somewhere in the future, time will tell.

I would want the future president of Barcelona to understand the values that a group of people brought to the club in 2003. Values of modernity and progress, of seeing the board as a place where you cannot just appear but where you have to serve the club and not serve yourself.

A catalanist board, where a job should be well-done, giving priority to the club and this shouldn't be just words or slogans but realities. I want a president who makes this values his owns and I'm sure the fans will be able to find out who is like that and who isn't. That won't be a very difficult task."

Read more:
The resignation letter of vice-president Franquesa
Barcagate (6) - The vice-presidents talk (part 2)

Laporta meets with Obama campaign advisers

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona president Joan Laporta has been in contact with Catalan political consultants Alex Terés and Jordi Segarra (picture below), who advised current United States president Barack Obama during the last months of his election campaign last year.

Laporta would have met several times with Terés and Segarra and although it's not clear if the meetings relate to Barcelona's upcoming elections or Laporta's possible entry in politics, the paper suggests that the financing of the campaign of the board's continuity candidacy led by vice-president Alfons Godall or director Xavier Sala i Martín could be based on the American fundraising model of gifts by supporters.

Read more:
Plan for internet voting rejected
One board candidacy suddenly seems very likely

Poll result: Can Benedito win the elections?

You think that Agustí Benedito has a chance to become the president of Barça?

No 80%
Yes 20%

total votes: 3660
start date poll: 8 october 2009
source: sport

check more election poll results here

picture: germán rodríguez rosas

When will the elections be held?

Last August, the changes made by FC Barcelona's general assembly to the club's by-laws included the date on which the presidential elections should be held.

The third paragraph of Article 39.1 (entitled Call of the elections - Terms) of FC Barcelona's by-laws now reads as follows:

"The elections for the presidency of the Club should be held between 15 March and 15 June, immediately preceding the termination of the mandate [...]. If possible, the elections are held on a day on which the first football team of the Club plays an official game at the Camp Nou."

Spanish sports paper As claimed last week, based upon sources from the entourage of Barcelona president Joan Laporta, that the club will organize the elections as soon as possible if the team would win the World Cup for Clubs in December in Abu Dhabi, because this would be believed to possibly benefit the continuity candidate.

If Barcelona qualifies for the first knockout round of the Champions League and plays the second leg at home, that game will be played on Tuesday 9 March or Wednesday 17 March. But as elections are normally organized in the weekend, the first chance to organize the elections could well be in the weekend of 3 and 4 April when Barcelona will play against Athletic Bilbao.

Read more:
Who is eligible as president?
Plan for internet voting rejected


picture:
Current Barcelona president Joan Laporta voting during the 2003 elections.

One board candidacy suddenly seems very likely

While all media last month seemed to agree that there could well be two current directors who would run for president next year (read more here), the two main Catalan sports papers today claim that one continuity candidacy seems again very likely after last Friday's board reshuffle (read more here).

This conclusion is drawn after vice-presidents Alfons Godall (picture, on the left) and Jaume Ferrer (picture, on the right) were both present at an event for local Barcelona fans clubs in the Catalan city of Premià de Dalt on Sunday and suggested that they are willing to be part of one candidacy.

Godall
"The moment has come to present a candidacy that unites the experience gained by several people. I do not know if I will be the number one, two or three, but I will take part in the project and I would be delighted if I would be the one leading it. With a good candidate, a good list and a good project, it's possible to win the trust of the club members.

We should end this term as united as possible so that we are able to present an inspiring project from within the club and the board because we believe that this board can go a long way. It is therefore crucial that there are no personal problems within the team to avoid the possibility of conflicts. I think that the last reshuffle of the board will have very positive effects."

Ferrer
"Godall would be a fantastic president, he would do very well. I haven't decided anything yet, but I would like to continue working for Barça the way I'm doing now. If Godall wants me to continue, there will be no problem to be part of the same candidacy. I feel very comfortable with him and in general I am feeling great. Alfons and I share the same idea about the club."

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Godall is seen as a figure who can unite all board members and that Ferrer would not join a candidacy that would be lead by director Xavier Sala i Martín. Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo observes that Ferrer didn't specify who should lead the continuity candidacy.

Read more:
Godall: "Being president would be a dream"
Laporta: "I believe in Sala i Martin"

Cartoon 15: Laporta not showing his hand

* Reshuffle of the Barça board *

Laporta:
Where's the successor?

(click the cartoon to enlarge)


by kap

source:
el mundo deportivo

check more election cartoons here

Media mogul rejects election involvement

Speaking at an event organized by Spanish sports weekly paper Don Balón, Barcelona club member Jaume Roures, chairman and founder of Spanish media group Mediapro that among other things holds the broadcasting rights of FC Barcelona's league games, has said he's not planning to take part in the elections:

"I will never be part of any candidacy for the presidency of Barcelona. People wouldn't vote for me anyway and I'm not stupid. The world of football makes me very nervous because it's not organized the way it should be. The club members will decide what's best for Barça.

For me, Guardiola would be the best president of Barcelona because he perfectly knows the sport, the club and the country. He worked with our company for a while and he's one of the many intelligent people that were part of the Dream Team."

Read more:
Could Guardiola be a future president?
Former candidate Angel Fernandez will not run

Most read this week

these were the three most read blog posts of the past week:


1.
Could Guardiola be a future president?

2.
Rosell sounding out Fernando Torres

3.
Jaume Guixa will run for president

Poll result: Will there be more resignations?

Do you think there will be more resignations after the exit of Franquesa?

Yes 75%
No 25%

total votes: 895
start date poll: 12 november 2009
source: el mundo deportivo

check more election poll results here

Laporta: "I believe in Sala i Martin"

Asked if Barcelona director Xavier Sala i Martín (picture, centre) could be a candidate to succeed him next year, Barcelona president Joan Laporta has praised the Catalan university professor in economics during an interview with Spanish television channel TVE earlier this week, while he also didn't exclude the option of more than one board candidate:

"He's a man of great and acknowledged qualities. He's a big Barcelona fan. I like him a lot, but he'll hear the decision I will make later. I believe in him because he has been one of the key men by supervising the project and he's a real football fan. It's an honour to have people like him in the board. Whoever it will be, what I sure would like is that my successor would have his intellectual abilities.

I think our model has proven to be a valid one because things have gone very well, but the board doesn't have to agree on one continuity candidate. We will give people the freedom to do what they want. That's our style. Sitting around the table and look for a consensus is not our style. It should be a natural process. We must give people the freedom to decide if they want to run or not. When the elections are called, those who want can present a candidacy."

Read more:
Sala i Martin: "I don't know what my role will be"
Laporta: "We'll talk about our candidate in January"

The new board of directors

(click image to enlarge)

Joan Laporta
president


Alfons Godall
first vice-president, responsible for the social area and spokesperson

Joan Boix
economic vice-president and responsible for the marketing and media area

Jaume Ferrer
vice-president responsible for assets administration and the handball section

Rafael Yuste
sports vice-president

Albert Perrín
vice-president responsible for the institutional area


Josep Cubells
secretary and director responsible for the basketball section

Alfons Castro
director responsible for security issues

Jacint Borràs
president of barcelona atlètic and member of the catalan football federation

Josep Anton Colomer
director of the economic area and responsible for the futsal section

Maria Elena Fort
director of the institutional and assets administration areas

Jordi Torrent
director responsible for the roller hockey section

Xavier Bagués
director of the social area

Patrick Auset
director of the social area

Josep-Ignasi Macià
director of the social area

Magda Oranich
director of the institutional area and responsible for the foundation

Xavier Sala i Martín
director of the economic area and treasurer

Read more:
Albert Perrin appointed as new vice-president


source: el 9 esportiu

Barça, a 'wonderful rarity' - part 2 (by Agustí Benedito)

Barcelona presidential candidate Agustí Benedito published on Monday an opinion piece in Catalan newspaper El Periódico.



If we look at the official data, Barcelona is going through a very good moment: at a sporting level, we are living the most glorious period in history, with a coach, Pep Guardiola, who is loved by everyone and with a team mainly made up of players that were formed at the academy and are admired around the world.

Economically, Barça is one of the leading clubs, which allows it to be competitive in the transfer market when trying to recruit the best players; socially, the growth, with over 170,000 club members and millions of fans around the world, cannot be discussed. And finally, the agreement with UNICEF has given Barça an extraordinary cultural and human dimension.

So there is reason to be proud of being Barcelona fans. And yet, there is a persistent and perceptible murmur, that expresses a kind of discontent and unrest which might seem contradictory to such a positive moment. But there is no contradiction. What happens is that this situation is something superficial and does not serve to fully capture and explain the state of mind of the fans.

This background noise that is heard and that expresses a quite general unrest is the consequence of a growing disaffection, to use a concept that has been used in other domains. At Barça, as in the whole of society, there is a crisis that is not really a crisis of values but that is, above all, a crisis of behaviours, a crisis of responsibilities and a crisis of social participation.

The way to experience the club and to identify ourselves, as members, with the current leadership structure has been seriously upset. This is what we need to consider restoring, it's the task we most urgently have to deal with.

The club members are the owners of the club. In my opinion this is the key element starting from which the existing unrest should be resolved. Barça is a democracy and it is therefore understandable that it suffers the same problems, or at least similar ones, that affecting the western democracies.

It is an unrest caused by the lack of transparency, social participation and representativeness of the governing bodies. The social demands don't find adequate or sufficient ways of expression because the existing ones are out of date or not binding. That's why there is a serious crisis of legitimacy. The legal option is unsatisfactory and has become an excuse rather than an argument.

We need a change of culture. We needed a profound change that promotes a new way of living the daily reality of Barça, we need a club management that is more transparent, more honest and more participatory. And this should be a bottom-up movement. The members should make this happen. It should be a change for the members, yes, but it should above all be a change by the members. In a few months, we will have the chance to do this. So let's go!

this is the second and last part of this opinion piece. you can read the first part here.


Read more:
Agusti Benedito to run for president
Introducing Benedito (five-parts series)


picture: germán rodríguez rosas

The Number: 2.000.000

2.000.000

total amount of money (in euros) Sandro Rosell would spend for his election campaign

Albert Perrin appointed as new vice-president

Speaking at a press conference, Barcelona president Joan Laporta has today announced the details of the changes in the club's board of directors after a board meeting in the French city of Perpinyà.

As part of a board reshuffle after the exit of former Barcelona vice-president Joan Franquesa on Wednesday (read more here), Barcelona board member Albert Perrín has been appointed as new vice-president of FC Barcelona.

Perrín takes over Franquesa's responsibility on "institutional matters" while "assets admininistration" goes to vice-president Jaume Ferrer. Ferrer loses on the other hand "marketing and media" to vice-president Joan Boix. Board member Xavier Sala i Martín becomes the club's treasurer, replacing Boix in that function.

Read more:
Board reshuffle coming up next week
Vice-president Joan Franquesa resigns