The Pundit: Joan Vehils on Soriano-Godall deal

« Soriano and Godall will close a deal. The private polls will help to make the final decision on who of the two will be the leader. »

Joan Vehils,
Sport

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Benedito putting emphasis on financial transparency

In an interview with this blog, Barcelona presidential candidate Agustí Benedito has made clear that one of the key points of his candidacy will be financial transparency. The former member of Barcelona' sports and social commissions gave two examples of how he wants to make this concrete during the campaign.

In the first place, Benedito wants to make public the personal estates of all the members of his board team. Besides that, the detailled costs of his campaign will soon be made available online: "I can also advance that when we will have launched our new website, we will start to implement the policy of transparency by publishing our accounts on there."

you will be able to read the full interview with agusti benedito next week.

Read more:
Benedito: "I don't plan to announce transfers"
Eighty percent of the voters still undecided
Benedito starts second phase of campaign

Sala wants to attract sponsor for Unicef logo

Speaking to Catalan radio station RAC 1 at a conference about sports leadership in Barcelona yesterday, Barcelona treasurer Xavier Sala i Martin has launched the idea that the candidacy led by Barcelona first vice-president Alfons Godall could close a commercial deal with a firm to sponsor the Unicef logo on the club's shirts:

"We have already talked with a company that would want to sponsor, not the shirt of Barça, but that would want to pay so Barça can continue with Unicef on the shirts.

They could then use this is their own marketing campaigns saying that they are the ones that make it possible that Barça continues to be the club of the children around the world through Unicef.

But so Barça would keep on playing with Unicef on the shirts and for us this would be another way to make profitable the co-operation with Unicef, that in my opinion is already profitable as far as the image of Barça in the world is concerned."

Read more:
Sala: "Presidential transfers are against our model"
Ferrer has biggest media impact
Sala: "Rosell wants to sell us a product"

Molins rejects offer to lead Minguella-Medina project

Spanish news agency Europa Press claims that Catalan lawyer Pablo 'Pau' Molins has rejected yesterday morning the offer to head the candidacy that is being set up by former Barcelona presidential candidates Josep Maria Minguella and Jordi Medina.

Molins is quoted as saying in a communiqué that, although he likes the idea of a 'third way', he declines the proposal because of professional and personal reasons that don't leave him enough time to campaign or to lead the club. Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that the criminal lawyer has nevertheless agreed to support the list.

Asked about the rumours linking Molins to his project, former player's agent Josep Maria Minguella has said in interviews with Catalan radio stations Catalunya Ràdio, first, and RAC 1 that he doesn't want to react to the latest news reports:

"Our group has made the decision that until the game against Real Madrid on 10 April we won't talk about or comment on any electoral issues. After that date, we will explain what we could do, who would be involved and so on, but for now we have decide not to talk anymore."

Read more:
Lawyer offered to lead Minguella-Medina project
Minguella project preparing primaries
Minguella-Medina project still looking for a leader

Lillo looking back at 2003 election campaign

In an interview with Catalan newspaper El Periódico, Almería manager Juan Manuel Lillo talked about the elections campaign of 2003 when he was, together with current Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola, part of the candidacy of Lluís Bassat:

"Pep called me and invited me to work with him. I never ask him what something is about. I don't even think about it. I go wherever needed. And when he proposed me to become the coach of Barça, what was there to think about! I also knew Lluís, so everything was very simple.

It is true that we focused all our attention on what we would do when we would win the elections, so that we didn't do anything to actually win. We were only thinking about and for Barça. That's Pep, more culé than the flag pole at the Camp Nou.

We didn't mention a single name, not regarding transfers, or coaches, or anything. We wanted that if people voted for us, it would be because of an idea, a project. We did not want the elections to be a catwalk of transfers. We maintained that policy, knowing it could play against us.

In the end, you think that if that was what the member decided, it just was not the right time for us to enter the club. Besides, all the people that were part of the candidacy - Lluís, Roca, Alemany, Pep - had very busy lives so that that the next day they just went on with what they were doing. Which is the proof of the integrity of all of them."

Read more:
Lillo would have been coach under Bassat
Could Guardiola be a future president?
Bassat: "Laporta invented Beckham transfer"

Guixa asks president Laporta to resign

Barcelona presidential candidate Jaume Guixà has today announced at a press conference that he wants Barcelona president Joan Laporta to step down as president because of his political involvement.

Below you find the translation of the letter he personally delivered at the club's offices this morning.


Dear Mr. Laporta,

As a club member of FC Barcelona and as a citizen of Catalonia I want to ask you, with all due respect, to resign as president of our club.

I have publicly stated that you have every right to engage in politics, and from a personal point of view I wish you success in your new endeavours, but I think it would be bad for the club that, during these hundred days that are left before the elections for the presidency of FC Barcelona, you would combine your position as candidate in the upcoming Catalan elections with, at the same time, continuing to represent a club that by definition has to be plural: the club is Catalan, above all, but is also global and belongs to all Catalans, regardless of their political views.

For all this, I want to formally ask you to put an end to this situation, which is, in my opinion, very harmful for FC Barcelona, although it could report you some benefits - especially regarding your fame - in your political project.

With all due respect and kind regards,

Jaume Guixà i Mora
Member of FC Barcelona

Read more:
Guixa: "Barça is a feeling"
The resignation letter of vice-president Franquesa
Guixa gets support of Spiderman

The Catalan Cave: Cristian Pulina (Eurosport)

in this section, we ask catalan and spanish sports journalists five questions about the elections for president of fc barcelona. today: cristian pulina from spanish news site eurosport.


1. You have publicly given your support to the candidacy of Alfons Godall? Why?
That's correct. Alfons Godall is part of the current and successful board, he therefore knows our way of working and Laporta also endorses his candidacy, so that's why I think that supporting him would be supporting the continuation of the work that has been done in the economic, sports and social area, and I think that the situation we are in now is difficult to improve. In my opinion, the continuity of the work is crucial in our success.

2. What would you do if in the end Ferran Soriano would head the continuity bid of Alfons Godall and Xavier Sala i Martín?
If Soriano would head the candidacy that would possibly be with the consent and the support of Godall, and so we would continue on the same path of "continuity" with a man of whom many, professionally, can only talk wonders. So yes, I would support that and in fact I would like it even better, because I believe that Soriano is very respected in the "Barcelona entourage", and that is very important to win.

3. What could change in the club if Sandro Rosell would be elected president?
Well, I cannot say things for certain, but I can not 100% trust a man who, when things went badly, wanted to impose his own views and distance Barça from the "philosophy" of Cruyff and fill the team with "names". The team was doing well with the "philosophy" of Cruyff and he didn't want to continue at Barça suggesting that he cares more about people listening to him and doing what he wants, than about the victories of Barça.

4. Some start to say that Agustí Benedito may be the surprise. Do you think that is possible?
I sincerely doubt that a lot.

5. Would Joan Laporta be re-elected if he could again run in the elections?
I think that if we would win "more than Madrid" this season and the basketball team at least manages to win the league title, he would win again, and by a landslide.

THE EXTRAS If you were a club member of Barça, who would you vote for or certainly not vote for?
I have been a club member of Barça, but I live far away and I put an end to it three or four years ago because I could not take advantage of the benefits. If I could, I would vote for Laporta. And if not, for Godall or for the "trio" headed by Soriano.

All your possessions are at stake. Give the top-3 of the elections on 13 June.
I think Rosell will win ahead of the “continuity group” that is now lead by Godall but that could end up being led by Soriano.

Thank you for this interview and your time. Good luck in covering the rest of the season and the elections.

read the previous episodes of this series:
francisco ávila (efe) - miquel pellicer (el mundo deportivo) - edu polo (ona fm) - abraham clotet (sport) - victor lozano (onda cero) - sergi de juan (el 9 esportiu)

Rexach seriously considering to run for president

Asked if he, as promised, will take part in the elections now that a Facebook group in his support has reached the required number of 5000 members (read more here), former Barcelona player and manager Carles Rexach has said in an interview with Catalan television channel Canal Català that he is considering the option:

"It started as a joke but now I'm seriously thinking about it because a lot of important people are calling me to ask what I will do. It would be like the bellboy ending up as the general director. But there's still a lot of time left to analyze the pro's and the contra's. Now could be the right moment because it seems as if everything goes well and that only a couple of things should be adjusted.

If I put a step forward, it should in any case be with a serious project. Therefore you need a team with the same qualities as the players of Barça, all aces. It's not an ego thing because I've already overcome that. The president should in the end only be at the second or third row because the exits come through the coaches and the players."

In an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena SER, Rexach said: "Now I have to consider this. Although I like joking, I'm a serious guy and to take a decision like this one you need to analyze things because Barça is a very serious institution.

People like me can now consider running. Thirty years ago you needed a certain reputation, which I don't have, but the world has moved on and now everyone can take part if they fulfil the conditions set out by the statutes of the club. I admit I am surprised by how people react to this. When I'm going somewhere now, everybody calls me 'president'.

What I do know is that I wouldn't get involved in politics. For me, sports and politics should be separated because there's already enough politics in the world of sports. Alliances? I could reach an agreement with anyone because I have a good relationship with everyone, although I have the most contact with Sandro Rosell."

Read more:
Rexach has Facebook support he asked for
Llaurado admits talks with Minguella and Rexach
Poll result: Would Rexach be good president?

Ferrer doing photo session

On Tuesday, Barcelona assets vice-president and presidential candidate Jaume Ferrer had a photo session ahead of the elections in June.

The Quote: Emma Gamper

"What I like most about football is the international dimension, to be able to see the shirt of Barcelona all around the world. I want a Barça without borders, without labels, because in the world of sports there shouldn't be limits. Sport should unite people under a same flag, that of respect and collaboration to reach an objective."


Emma Gamper,
member of the candidacy of Jaume Guixà

read more election quotes here

Minguella-Medina project still looking for a leader

Although all media sources agree that Catalan lawyer Pau Molins [picture] has been offered to head the candidacy that is being set up by former Barcelona presidential candidates Josep Maria Minguella and Jordi Medina (read more here), there is uncertainty about his reaction to the proposal.

Spanish news agency Europa Press claims that sources close to Molins confirmed that the lawyer, who feels "very related to the club", is thinking about the offer and that he wants to take the time necessary to make the decision, which could be more than one week.

Catalan newspaper El Periódico claims that Molins, who would be very interested in the proposal, will decide in one or two weeks time. The offer would have been made to him last week during a meeting with Minguella and a group of club members.

Catalan news site E-notícies claims that Minguella, Medina and Molins had a dinner on Thursday 19 February. The answer would be expected for next week. If Molins accepts the offer, Minguella would become the sports vice-president of the list and Medina the social vice-president.

A source close to the Minguella-Medina project confirmed yesterday evening to this blog that there has indeed been an offer but that Molins didn't yet give a final answer. We were also told that, contrary to previous news reports (read more here), Catalan businessman Jordi Roche, the former president of the Catalan football federation, would not be part of this project.

Spanish news agency EFE claims that it looks like the deal with Molins won't go through - despite a source of the project being quoted as saying that the lawyer would be "a very valid" candidate - because Molins wouldn't be able to combine the campaign with his job. His defense of Catalan business man Fèlix Millet in a major corruption scandal (read more here) could also play a role: "That wouldn't be positive publicity in case he would be our candidate."

The group would now keep on working to find a candidate and announce a name in the next two to three weeks, with the source explaining: "The offer to Molins doesn't mean that we already have a clear idea, because we still have to assess a lot of things, not only about the candidate but also about the rest of the team.

I want to make clear that we are not selling the leadership of our group by auction. We are just talking with a lot of people and, for whatever reason, the names of two [the other being that of catalan journalist xavier bosch] of the many members we have considered have been leaked to the public."

Catalan sports paper El 9 Esportiu claims that Molins already rejected the offer to lead the candidacy because of professional reasons – the Millet case and the opening of a new office in Madrid - but that he did accept to be part of the list. The group would continue to search for a prestigious consensus figure to become the candidate.

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Molins has already rejected the offer and that Medina and Minguella continue to look for a candidate that has never before been directly involved in an election process, although it's not excluded that one of the two would in the end be the candidate. The final list should be ready in April.

Medina is quoted by the paper as saying: "We want to assemble a project that could be a third way between laportas and anti-laportistas and that unites the Barcelona fans. That's why the choice of the candidate isn't a fight and won't turn into an auction. We're not in a hurry, there's a lot of pre-campaign and campaign left and we don't want to take part in the battles."

Read more:
Lawyer offered to lead Minguella-Medina project
Catalan journalist rejects offer to run for president
Medina will again take part in the elections

Zubizarreta is an option to replace Begiristain

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that former Barcelona goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta could become the new sports director of FC Barcelona this summer. At least three presidential candidates would see Zubizarreta as an option to replace current sports director Txiki Begiristain.

Begiristain would have decided to leave the club at the end of June and would publicly announce that decision in April, although current Barcelona vice-president and candidates Alfons Godall and Jaume Ferrer would still be hoping to convince him to stay. Godall would want Begiristain to continue for one more year to support the change of presidents.

Presidential candidates Jaume Guixà and Agustí Benedito have already said in an interviews that they don't wish to continue with Begiristain and the same is believed to be the case with former Barcelona sports vice-president Sandro Rosell.

The latter would have planned to offer Guardiola a role as general manager but would now have to change these plans because Guardiola has said he prefers to continue as coach. Therefore basically all candidates would at this moment be looking for a new sports director.

Andoni Zubizarreta was a Barcelona player from 1986, when he arrived from Athletic Bilbao, until 1994, when he left for Valencia. With Barcelona, the 48-year old won four consecutive Spanish leagues from 1991 to 1994, two Spanish cups in 1988 and 1990, two Spanish supercups in 1991 and 1992, one Champions league 1992, one Cup winner's cup in 1989 and one European supercup in 1992.

Since his retirement as an active player, Zubizarreta, who reportedly has a close relationship with Guardiola, has been acting as radio and television pundit. From 2001 to 2004, he was the sports director of Athletic Bilbao.

Zubizarreta was also, together with - among others - Real Madrid general director Jorge Valdano, one of the founders of makeateam, a company that focuses on human resources training and consulting, of which he is currently still the vice-president.

Read more:
Txiki will leave at the end of season
Poll result: Should the sports director disappear?
Godall: "Txiki will be my sports director"

Guixa: "Barça is a feeling"

Barcelona presidential candidate Jaume Guixà attended last week a live chat organized by Spanish online newspaper Diario Crítico.


Why would a man with a career and a good position want to become the president of a football club, out of vanity?
Because I am the president of a Barcelona fan club, in my town, Sant Cugat del Vallès, and I want to give Barça back to its rightful owners, the 173.800 club members.

What do you think about the management of Laporta? You recognize that in the sports area he has been flawless?
He has been flawless in the sports area, thanks to the fact that Pep Guardiola, together with his staff, has been able to isolate the players from a politicized institutional position which is contrary to what his voters in 2003 wanted.

Why should I vote for you?
Our candidacy is the only one that doesn't come from the laportism. We offer a new and renewed option.

Are you prepared to become president?
I'm ready and I have a great team of people in my candidacy to deal with situations of risk that undoubtedly will come. I can count on Emma Gamper, Joan Segarra, Mercè Morales and Jaume Sobrequés and I will soon present other specialized professionals in different sectors who will be an added value.

How do you look at the world of football, the wages aren't too high, and even more so in the current times of crisis?
We will have to analyze the costs, although it is a situation marked by the law of supply and demand.

Will you announce a star signing to attract some more votes or you won't play it that way?
The important thing about the candidacy I'm heading won't be the transfers or some fax announcing them, but the overall project. Although we really like Cesc and he wants to return to Barça. On the other hand, we are convinced of the importance of strengthening the youth academy and to avoid the exit of talented youth players.

How do you want to improve the animation in the stadium, for example through a youth area? And what do you want to do with those who have always animated Barça the most, the Boixos Nois?
All groups are welcome, when they are respecting the civic norms that are in place in a football stadium.

What do you think about the reclassification of the Miniestadi?
As I have already said publicly, I am totally opposed to the disappearance of the Miniestadi, as this should be the place where our youth players can gain experience before making the step to the first team.

Will you continue with the Foster project?
The Foster project doesn't make sense because the stadium is already considered to be a five stars facility. Yes to the modernization of the stadium (toilets, accessibility, stands, etc.), but no to the light pollution that would be caused by a project like that of Foster.

Do you think that Barça is more than a club?
Without any doubt it is, in several areas: sports, socially, artistically, regarding the fan clubs. Barça is a feeling.

this is the second and last part of the chat session. you can read the first part here.

Read more:
Guixa: "Barça can sign any player"
Three 'Dream Team' players in candidacy Guixa
Guixa gets support of Spiderman

Ribery rejects approach Rosell

Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell has been trying to close a deal with Bayern Munich attacker Franck Ribéry (26) but the player would not be interested in a move to Barcelona (read more here).

Rosell would like Ribéry to be one of the new faces of his project if he's elected as president in June but despite several calls to Bayern Munich and attempts to convice the Frenchman, Ribéry would reportedly only want to join Real Madrid in the summer.

Read more:
Candidate has deal with Ribery
Transfer battle between board and Rosell
Polls lead to Cesc transfer rumours

Most read of the month

these were the five most read blog posts during the past month of february:


1.
Cruyff will support Godall

2.
Guixa: "The trophies have hidden the instability"

3.
This blog involved in the election campaign

4.
Benedito: "I shaped a reliable and solid model"

5.
Poll Voting Intentions: Four Months Before

Check the most read blog posts of:
October
November
December
January

Businessman linked with Nunez to run for president

Spanish radio station Radio Marca claims that Catalan businessman Juan Manuel Alcaraz has made the decision to take part in the elections for president of FC Barcelona in June of this year.

Alcaraz would have been sounded out by all the other candidacies to join them but would in the end have decided to run for president with an own project that reportedly has the strong support of a group of Catalan business people.

The new presidential candidate would have an excellent social and economic network and is said to be a close friend of former Barcelona vice-president Josep Lluís Nuñez i Navarro, the son of ex-president Josep Lluis Nuñez.

Juan Manuel Alcaraz is a 42-year old entrepreneur from the construction sector. Since 2007, he is married with Spanish television presenter Alejandra Prat.

Read more:
New candidates getting ready to appear on stage
Former president Nunez to run with support Cruyff
Former candidate Angel Fernandez will not run

Rexach has Facebook support he asked for

The Facebook group that was created after former Barcelona player and manager Carles Rexach had said on a television program that he will run for president of FC Barcelona if such a group would gather 5.000 members (read more here), has yesterday evening reached the required number.

The group on Facebook, that is called "Carles Rexach: Si som 5.000 em presento" [Carles Rexach: If we are with 5.000, I will run], meanwhile keeps growing and has now already more than 5.300 members. Rexach himself so far didn't react to the news.

The 63-year old Catalan, who has mainly been working as a football pundit since he left the club in 2003, was a Barcelona player from 1967 to 1981, coached the team on three occasions as caretaker and was the manager of the team during the 2001-2002 season.

Read more:
Ex-coach Rexach considers running for president
Rexach has almost enough Facebook support
Poll result: Would Rexach be good president?