Benedito: "Rosell left the ship very early"

Barcelona presidential candidate Agustí Benedito gave an interview to Catalan online newspaper El Debat.


You are seen as the candidate of the third way. What would you bring to the club?
I have been linked for over 13 years with FC Barcelona, with Laporta and many other people – in the entourage since 1996 and as part of the club since 2003 until I left a year ago – and that has given me the opportunity to design a club model I would like to promote. This well-defined model is different from the project that could be defended by the continuism of Jaume Ferrer and the one of Sandro Rosell.

Can you advance some proposals?
There is an issue that differs us greatly from other candidates, namely that we oppose the sale of assets and more specifically we are against the sale of the Miniestadi. It is a very important issue that is linked to the assets solvency of the club and therefore to its future solvency. Our program is very extensive, but I also want to mention the civic dimension of the club, because we think that as a famous institution, we have the responsibility to pass on a set of civic values to the society.

Whom do you feel closer to, Rosell or Ferrer?
At a personal level, I have a very good relationship with Jaume Ferrer, with Sandro Rosell and with their teams. Regarding the programs, although mister Rosell hasn't yet presented his, I have the feeling that I'm distanced as much from it as from that of Ferrer.

An agreement with one of them is an option?
Our model of Barça is certainly not compatible with the model defended by the continuism and by intuition not with the model of Rosell either. This is the reason why we are having an own project and why a pact is not viable. We are talking about different models and I don't think it's possible that we could team up and write a program together. If the member decides that we are not the ones who should preside the club, we will continue with our project, and maybe in the next elections we will have the opportunity to present it another time because we feel it is the right thing. But I can say that we won't make a pact.

Can you anyway tell me what you think is a virtue and a defect of the other candidates?
As far as I know and hear, both are big Barcelona fans and good people. As a negative point, I would say that Rosell has left the ship and his position of vice-president of Barça very early and very fast. Although I admit that he had lost an internal power struggle when he wanted to change the coach, I think that he should have been aware that a board is a collective body, that there is a president and that you cannot always have things your way. On Jaume Ferrer on the other hand, I would say that he has problems to make decisions and that he often has missed the right train.

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

Read more:
Benedito introduces campaign fundraising
Guixa and Benedito want members to ratify Cruyff
Benedito: "I will win the elections"

interview: gemma vialcanet