Minguella-Medina project has found candidate

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that the candidacy that is being set up by former Barcelona candidates Josep Maria Minguella [picture] and Jordi Medina will now definitely take part in the elections for president of FC Barcelona later this year.

The candidacy, that earlier contacted journalist Xavier Bosch (read more here) and lawyer Pau Molins (read more here), would now finally have found the person that will head the list. The presidential candidate would in the end be a 40-year old resident of Barcelona.

Minguella and Medina will reportedly officially present their project and the candidate the week after the Real Madrid-Barcelona game on Saturday 10 April. The main ideas of the candidacy will be explained as well as the intention that they won't attack anybody during the campaign.

Josep Maria Minguella, a 68-year old former player's agent who now mainly acts as a Barcelona pundit for a number of radio and television shows, took part in the 2003 elections, when he ended fifth with 1.867 votes (3,62%). The Catalan supported the 2008 vote of no confidence against the board.

Jordi Medina is a 45-year old Catalan lawyer who was a pre-candidate in the 2003 and 2006 elections but failed twice to collect enough signatures of club members to take part in the final vote. Medina is the chairman of 'Un Crit Valent', an FC Barcelona platform.

Read more:
Minguella project preparing primaries
Majo stepping out of Minguella-Medina project
Minguella-Medina project still looking for a leader

What are the functions of the treasurer?

Article 30, paragraph 2, of the statutes of FC Barcelona says that the club should appoint a treasurer among the board members: "The positions that make up the Board will be, at least and necessarily, those of [...] Treasurer [...]."

Article 30.5 of the club's statutes, entitled 'Functions of the Treasurer', enumerates the tasks of the treasurer of FC Barcelona and reads as follows:

"a) To be responsible for the financial and economic area of the Club and its acts of transfer, to present to the Board of Directors proposals for agreements to be adopted regarding these issues and tp authorise payments by his signature.

b) To take the responsibility for all the Club's accounting books and documents.

c) To monitor the annual budget, providing monthly reports to the Board of Directors and making the appropriate proposals when deviations occur.

d) To prepare the reports for the closing of the financial year and the budget that the Board of Directors must annually submit to the General Assembly, to propose the undertaking of the audits stipulated by the Statutes and to sign, with approval of the President, the final documents regarding these issues that are approved by the Board.

e) To control the movements of funds of the Club and the state of the deposits, and to adapt them to what is noted in the accounting books.

f ) To provide receipts of the fees and other payments made by Club members.

g) All others that are stipulated by these Statutes."

The treasurer is not mentioned further in the statutes, apart from the reference in the first paragraph of article 34, saying that the treasurer should necessarily be part of the club's Delegate Commission, which is a kind of core board (read more here).

Read more:
What are the functions of the president?
Godall and Ferrer no longer part of 'core board'
What is the role of a vice-president?

Ferrer: "The president should give the example"

Barcelona assets vice-president and presidential candidate Jaume Ferrer gave an interview to Catalan online paper El Singular Digital.


Some of the directors who left during the Laporta era have accused the president of distancing himself from the initial project. You share this vision?
The project for Barça has been functioning very well. We have maintained the sports and economic model to great success during those years. But there have been changes in the style and the actions of president Laporta. He has done many positive things, but he has done some things very badly. The latter, though they were few, are the ones who have sticked. I think the next president of Barça should try to not act in an unfortunate way.

But this is a position that carries responsibility and stress. Is it possible not to make any slip?
Yes, and the president should be the first to give the example. We need to find the best relations possible with all types of institutions, with other clubs, as well as a very direct contact with the partner.

You dare to give president Laporta a note?
I'm not good at giving notes but I can say that he will be remembered as one of the greatest presidents of Barça.

Laporta has launced his website and has brought his political career a little closer...
Everyone is responsible for his own decisions. I respect everyone's actions and it is he who must assess when and how he plans his political future. If I was in his situation, I would wait until I'm not the president of Barça anymore.

But you have been one of the most important people in the board. You have never suggested him to leave his political career until after the upcoming elections?
That is irrelevant. He has felt that he should do it the way he has done it. At some occasions, he has done it perfectly, he has defended the values of Barça. Now, however, he is using the club as a tool to enter in politics.

Let's talk about football. There are already people who try to question the team of Guardiola. And every project has to renew itself. This Barça can be improved somehow?
This is the best team in the world, a group made by the technical staff. And it's very clear to us that we will continue to give all our confidence to both the sports director and the coach. It must be them who lead the renewal of this team.

The coach and the sports director will be two of the pillars on which you will base your presidency in case you are elected?
Yes, and besides that, we will keep on investing in the youth academy without sacrificing our spectacular and competitive way of playing. We will have an economic model that keeps going for more internationalization. And as far as specific proposals are concerned, we want to build a new Palau Blaugrana, to reform the Nou Camp and to redevelop the Miniestadi.

The last question, a more personal one. What kind of relationship do you today have with Laporta?
My relationship with Laporta was much closer in 2003 than it is now. I do not know who or what is to blame, but today I feel further away from his way of doing things.

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

Read more:
Ferrer won't accept conditions Laporta
Laporta confirms board support for Ferrer
Ferrer: "We should study shirt sponsorship"

interview: xavier march

Benedito decorates headquarters with logo

The logo of Barcelona presidential candidate Agustí Benedito is since this week visible at his headquarters in the centre of Barcelona.

(more pictures)

The Pundit: Dagoberto Escorcia on election face-offs

« If we could choose a showdown for the presidency of Barcelona, the most attractive one would have been that of Joan Laporta against Sandro Rosell. Given the fact that the current president could not take part, the second major electoral battle would have been that of Sandro Rosell against Ferran Soriano. To our misfortune, none of these face-offs will take place. They were interesting encounters, with enough incentives, full of intrigues and personal grudges. But it won't happen. »

Dagoberto Escorcia,
La Vanguardia

check more pundit talk

Weekly Round-Up (17): Man of the hour

Every week an overview of the posts from this blog, written by Xaviniesta, is published on Barcelona news site totalBarca.


Barcelona assets vice-president Jaume Ferrer is the new board continuity candidate, replacing vice-president Alfons Godall, whose candidacy was initially supported and endorsed by Barcelona president Joan Laporta.

In what appears to be the latest fallout from last week’s events, Godall has announced that he is withdrawing as a candidate in the Barcelona presidential elections. Godall,who earlier claimed he would continue with his candidacy, said in his formal statement of withdrawal that the many challenges facing the club needed “new people and new ideas”: “I’ve always been in favour of joining forces and overcome old disputes, because projects are more important than people, and above all that is our beloved FC Barcelona.”

His statements would have been made in obvious reference to the board’s objection to a unity pact with the group of former Barcelona economic vice-president Ferran Soriano with whom Godall has reportedly held talks in an attempt to put together a unified candidacy.

>>> read the complete weekly round-up here

Rosell wanted commission fee for sale Ronaldinho

In his book "Un somni per als meus fills" (A dream for my sons), that was published this week, Barcelona president Joan Laporta explains how presidential candidate Sandro Rosell - then sports vice-president - tried to convince him in the spring of 2004 to sell Barcelona player Ronaldinho:

"On 25 April 2004, the day we played against Madrid at the Bernabéu, he told me that Chelsea offered 100 millions for Ronaldinho. I told him to put it out of his head, that Ronnie was not for sale, that I didn't want to talk about the issue anymore, but he added: 'Jan, they give us a commission fee of 10%'.

A few weeks later, in May, Sandro mentioned the offer of Chelsea again. He insisted and said we could close it right there if me and him reached an agreement. I again reminded him that I didn't want to talk about it and that Ronaldinho wouldn't move from Barça.

Then he brought it up another time that if we accepted, they would give us 10 million euros which we could share between us. That attitude profoundly disappointed me."

Rosell yesterday made an official statement denying the story and saying that he could take the matter to court: "The report of the events in the book constitutes, because of its complete and absolute falseness, a serious attack on my honour and that is why I keep the option open to take the appropriate legal actions.

However, because of the respect I have for the presidency of FC Barcelona and since the defense of my honour is secondary to the interests of the club, I would only start those mentioned legal proceedings once the sports season and the electoral process have come to an end."

Read more:
Laporta wanted to replace Rosell by Cruyff
Rosell writing second book
Soriano scoring in Japan with management book

Who are the people behind Jaume Ferrer?

On his profile page on social networking site Facebook, Barcelona first vice-president Alfons Godall has explained why he doesn't understand the support of Barcelona president Joan Laporta for assets vice-president and presidential candidate Jaume Ferrer:

"Ferrer is driven by three engines. The entourage of the sons of former Catalan president Pujol [note: jordi puyol - picture - was the president of the catalan government from 1980 until 2003], the former director and former brother-in-law of the president [note: alejandro echevarría, click the "echevarria" tag below to know more] and the current board members who couldn't accept being left aside by my candidacy. The first two engines are clearly anti-laporta, respectively for political and personal reasons."

Read more:
Ferrer denies support former brother-in-law Laporta
Barcagate: The Ferrer report
Godall doesn't believe in Ferrer-Rosell duel

Benedito: "Guardiola will stay for many more years"

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


Your project wants to continue with the current model or break with it?
The project of 2003, if updated and renewed, is still very valid and I think that the majority of the club members agree with this. It's about making sure that the rest of the club is on par with the sporting results of the football team, which isn't the case at this moment. After a lot of years inside and outside the club, you end up having your own ideas about how you would like Barça to be, and you see that this is shared by many people. Because of all this and after it has become clear that the continuity project as well as the project of Rosell are different from our vision on the club, we decided to create this alternative.

Will you change something about the sports structure?
We have our own ideas, that include some modifications, but the final proposal should be agreed upon by Guardiola. But the sports area is surely the one we will touch least. In other areas there have to be more serious changes.

If you're elected as president, will you stop the co-operation with Guardiola if he would demand things that are not compatible with your ideas?
It is impossible that this would happen. I am convinced that Guardiola will not raise demands that go against the general interest of the club. We are anxious to talk with Guardiola so we can explain him our plan. I'm sure that we will find an agreement and that he will be with us for many more years.

Will you arrive at the final vote alone, that is without making a pact with anyone?
Of course. We had a hard time making the decision to start with a candidacy, it takes a lot effort, and not just financially. A pact is not a possibility for us because we are distanced from the other projects and I see no way we could fit together.

Why have you said in some media that you think the continuism has no chance to win?
After having spoken in person with over 1.400 club members, a number that allows you to have an idea of the state of mind of the fans, I have seen a large rejection of the continuism.

What will be the importance of the fan clubs in your project?
The fan clubs are the representatives of Barça in their region. They have presented us their "project for the 21st century", it is very interesting and it can be improved at some points.

Will you continue with UNICEF on the shirt or will you seek revenues through shirt sponsoring?
Barça is the most feared team on the pitch and we want it to be the most loved around the world. The collaboration with Unicef was a great decision but there is still a long way to go. We will maintain the collaboration and we will expand it. If we eventually would be forced to look for a sponsor, we are allowed to do this by the vote of the Assembly of 2003 or 2004, I do not remember it exactly, but I'm not at all in favour of seeking external sponsorship.

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

Read more:
Benedito wants to be the third way
Logo and first campaign slogan Benedito revealed
Benedito: "Stadium shouldn't be visible from the moon"

interview: uri bruguera

The Pundit: Antonio Franco on weak points Laporta

« As a leader, Laporta has shown two weak points: he hasn't been able to keep his board team united nor to organize his succession in a proper way. »

Antonio Franco,
El Periódico

check more pundit talk

Poll result: Will Cruyff stay honorary president?

Do you think the new president will maintain Johan Cruyff as honorary president of Barça?

Yes 50%
No 50%

total votes: 3035
start date poll: 26 march 2010
poll method: internet, free participation
source: el mundo deportivo

check more election poll results here

Update on Ferrer-Benedito joint candidacy

I think it's time to tell you

that the reliable source inside the Benedito candidacy

who told this blog everything (but really everything...) about

the joint candidacy of Barcelona presidential candidates Jaume Ferrer and Agustí Benedito

was in fact...

this guy:

Businesswoman Susana Monje will be treasurer Rosell

Jordi Cardoner, member of the board team of Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell, has confirmed on his blog that Spanish businesswoman Susana Monje [picture, sitting on the right], who last month assisted a meeting the former sports-vice president had with Barcelona supporters, will become the club's treasurer if Rosell is elected as president in June (read more here).

Susana Monje is the 37-year old chief executive of the Essentium Group, a holding that includes companies that are active in several sectors, among which raw construction materials, renewable energy and real estate development. The group also sponsors Spanish third division club Toledo.

Read more:
Businesswoman could become treasurer Rosell
The three areas and vice-presidents of Rosell
Team member Rosell talking about their project

Ferrer and Benedito to form one candidacy

This blog can reveal that Barcelona presidential candidates Jaume Ferrer and Agustí Benedito have last weekend reached a principal agreement to join their candidacies ahead of the elections in June. The news was confirmed to us by a reliable source inside the Benedito candidacy.

The two candidates would have started talking after polls of the Ferrer candidacy showed that a Ferrer-Benedito project would clearly defeat the current favourite in the elections, former Barcelona sports vice-president Sandro Rosell, if there wasn't a third serious candidacy showing up.

Benedito and Ferrer know each other from the time Benedito was a member of the club's sports and social commissions. At a certain moment, Ferrer was the director responsible for the non-football sections of the club while Benedito was involved with the basketball team. Since then, the two have a close relationship.

After the basic deal on a co-operation, Ferrer and Benedito will now have to finalize a joint program and find an agreement on who will be part of the board. The joint candidacy will clearly distance themselves from Barcelona president Joan Laporta, which would include the dismissal of current Barcelona chief executive Joan Oliver. The positon of sports director Txiki Begiristain would still be under discussion.

Ferrer would lead the project and would be the candidate to become president. His right-hand man, current Barcelona director Jordi Torrent, would be first vice-president, while Benedito would be second vice-president and have a lot of freedom to implement his ideas on the social area of the club.

Benedito would have asked to insert a clause in the deal that Ferrer wouldn't stand for re-election if the candidacy wins in June, which would allow Benedito to run himself for president in 2016. Although there's not yet an agreement on the issue, Ferrer doesn't exclude the option, since he would at that time have been a member of the board for thirteen years, since 2003.

If everything goes as planned, Ferrer and Benedito could call a press conference in the second week of April. If the negotiations between the two parties would take longer, a public announcement could be postponed until the end of April of the beginning of May and depend on the performances of the team.

Read more:
Ferrer won't accept conditions Laporta
Benedito wants to be the third way
Director Torrent will be right-hand man Ferrer

The Pundit: Xavier Bosch on support Laporta for Ferrer

« As the candidate of the laportism, Ferrer should now be very careful. The hugs of the bear can give more shelter than anything else, but sometimes they leave you without the air that is necessary to breathe. »

Xavier Bosch,
El Periódico

check more pundit talk

Former vice-president Ingla will run for president

Catalan weekly paper El Triangle claims that former Barcelona marketing and sports vice-president Marc Ingla [picture, on the left] has decided to take part in the elections for president of FC Barcelona, that will be held on Sunday 13 June of this year.

Ingla would take over the project of former Barcelona economic president Ferran Soriano, who announced last week that he would not head a list in the upcoming elections (read more here). Ingla would make an official statement announcing his candidacy in the coming days.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claimed yesterday that Ingla, who is reportedly on vacation in the Alps, was still thinking about a possible candidacy while being in constant contact with former Barcelona first vice-president Albert Vicens.

Although he is aware of the time pressure, Ingla wouldn't have a concrete deadline in mind and the fact that Soriano would agree, or not, to be part of his candidacy as a board member would not be a decisive element in his final decision.

Read more:
Former vice-president Ingla considering to run
Soriano will not run for president
Soriano dines with former board colleagues

Ferrer: "I want to work with more discretion"

Barcelona assets vice-president and presidential candidate Jaume Ferrer gave an interview to Catalan online paper El Singular Digital.


You are part of the current board and running for president. Is your project one of reform or of continuity?
Our idea is to maintain what is working. We are committed to continue with the model that has given us so many successes in recent years, but using another style. It's about the same sporting and economic project, but including a structure in which the president is not the main protagonist, which should be the players and the coaches.

So your candidacy will therefore put special emphasis on the manners?
The big difference will be in the way of doing things. We want the board to be on par with what the club represents. We propose to work with much more discretion than has been done so far. For example, defending our roots without doing politics from within the club.

Despite the insistence of Laporta, you have not accepted to form one united candidacy with Alfons Godall [note: the interview dates from before last week's event, when laporta decided to support ferrer, after which godall withdrew his candidacy].
It hasn't been possible to close even one deal with Alfons Godall when we were considering a joint candidacy. Both him and I had the legitimate wish to head a project, but, even though we tried, we couldn't even agree when we were to name the people who should be part of it.

Some people say that your candidacy is motivated by the resentment caused by you not being the preferred candidate of Laporta.
Long before Laporta gave his support to Alfons Godall, I had already said that I wanted to take part and to lead a project.

Why do you think Laporta has backed Godall?
The president should say this. I can only think of one reason, and that is the friendship he has with Alfonso Godall.

You have felt betrayed?
No. This is a matter of individual freedom. However, I think that no one should choose his successor, that person should come forward naturally, or it should be decided by the members of the board. For me, the choice of Laporta is not something that has a lot of importance.

Many of the candidates who are running in these elections have been part of the board of Laporta. What went wrong since 2003?
It is not at all easy to be part of the board of directors of Barça. Over the years there have been people who thought that things should be different and others who weren't able to deal with the pressure. It's a fact that a lot of people have left. Many of them were and are great Barcelona fans and have worked hard for the club.

You were one of the directors involved in spying affair. Did you think about resigning?
No. I have always worked based upon responsibility and discretion. The espionage affair was very unpleasant, but in any case, it wasn't me who should have resigned, but other people.

The board was once again in the news instead of the team...
At that moment, we had important games ahead. We received the explanations that we thought were appropriate, we reached an agreement that was more or less satisfactory and we decided to close the issue and to move forward. The sporting results confirmed that we were right.

You have recently declared that you stay on the board to "continue to keep an eye on things until the last day"...
We need to play down those words. There are still decisions to be taken and the club is still moving. Recently I have been kicked out of the Delegate Commission and therefore I don't have a view anymore on the daily activities of the club. Because of the members that have chosen us, I think I should continue to give my opinion in the board as long as the statutes allow me to do so.

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

Read more:
Ferrer won't accept conditions Laporta
Laporta confirms board support for Ferrer
Ferrer: "We should study shirt sponsorship"

interview: xavier march

Godall doesn't believe in Ferrer-Rosell duel

Over the past days, Barcelona first vice-president and former presidential candidate Alfons Godall has explained through his profile on social networking site Facebook that he thinks it is unlikely that Barcelona assets vice-president Jaume Ferrer and former Barcelona sports vice-president Sandro Rosell will face each other on 13 June:

"Somebody really believes in an electoral confrontation between Ferrer and Rosell? I don't! Jaume and Sandro are very alike. And they have too many friends in common in the world of economy and politics to compete against each other in the elections.

The powers that support and finance the project of Ferrer are in the end the same people who support the candidacy of Rosell. Why would they spend twice their money by paying the campaigns of two candidates when it's enough to have one candidacy that can guarantee a victory? Note: a winning campaign costs, without wasting money, at least one million euros..."

Read more:
The withdrawal statement of Godall
Rosell will have board of 17 or 18 directors
Cartoon: Is Laporta campaigning for Rosell?

Poll result: Soriano should have run?

Would you have liked that Ferran Soriano took part in the elections at Barça?

No 54%
Yes 46%

total votes: 3183
start date poll: 25 March 2010
poll method: internet, free participation
source: sport

Cartoon 32: Johan Cruyff, president of horror

Person A:
And what do you think about the fact that they have appointed Cruyff as president of horror of Barça?

Person B:
President of honour, you mean?

Person A:
Oh, yeah! Don't know what I was thinking about!

(click the cartoon to enlarge)


by kap

source:
el mundo deportivo

check more election cartoons here

Minguella project to present new member

Catalan sports weekly paper Gol claims that the candidacy that is being set up by former players' agent and 2003 presidential candidate Josep Maria Minguella will soon after the game against Real Madrid next month present a new member.

The person would be a man of between 40 and 45 years old who reportedly has already a large support among Barcelona fans. It's not specified by the paper if this would be the candidate the group has been looking for (read more here).

Josep Maria Minguella, who now mainly acts as a Barcelona pundit for a number of radio and television shows, took part in the 2003 elections, when he ended fifth (out of six contenders) with 1.867 votes (3,62%). The Catalan supported the 2008 vote of no confidence against the board.

Read more:
Molins rejects offer to lead Minguella-Medina project
Majo stepping out of Minguella-Medina project
Minguella project preparing primaries

Godall will not resign after withdrawing candidacy

Asked about the rumours that he could leave the board of directors after Barcelona president Joan Laporta and the majority of the board gave their support to vice-president Jaume Ferrer, which led him to withdraw his candidacy, Barcelona first vice-president Alfons Godall has said in an interview with Barcelona news site Eleccionsfcb that he will stay:

"No, I won't resign. I don't think it would be worth it since there are only two months left and it would unnecessarily cause another upset. What is not yet clear to me is if I will return to the presidential box, I don't yet feel like it... I lived a bad experience, but that's life!"

Read more:
Godall withdraws his campaign for the presidency
Sala i Martin to stay on until end of term
Laporta confirms board support for Ferrer

Ferrer won't accept conditions Laporta

Speaking to Catalan radio station Ona FM, Barcelona director Jordi Torrent [picture, on the right], who is part of the candidacy of Barcelona assets vice-president Jaume Ferrer, has said that the support of Barcelona president Joan Laporta for Ferrer doesn't change anything to their initial project:

"Laporta has now decided to give his support to our candidacy and after the other candidate withdrew his project, Ferrer is at this moment the only board candidate left and he will not accept impositions.

Joan Oliver? He has a contract until 30 June and that's when we will see what we will do. But it's clear that the chief executive should be someone who has the full confidence of the president. Ferran Soriano? As every club member, he has the chance to collaborate with us."

Catalan sport paper Sport claimed last week that Laporta would only give his public support to the candidacy of Ferrer if four conditions would be fulfilled, although the paper later said that the vice-president didn't plan to accept any impositions.

The four conditions mentioned were: that Ferrer wouldn't close a deal with former Barcelona economic vice-president Ferran Soriano that would make the latter the head of the candidacy, that Joan Oliver would continue as chief executive, that all current directors who want to continue would be given a place in the board team of Ferrer and that Ferrer would accept the support of Barcelona treasurer Xavier Sala i Martín.

Read more:
Director Torrent will be right-hand man Ferrer
Laporta confirms board support for Ferrer
Ferrer presenting three new team members

Cartoon 31: Is Laporta campaigning for Rosell?

Rosell:
After the events of the past week, I feel forced to deny this. Laporta is not my campaign director!

(click the cartoon to enlarge)


by alex

source:
golsud

see more cartoons here

The Pundit: Santi Nolla on Jaume Ferrer

« They say that Ferrer is a diesel. »

Santi Nolla,
El Mundo Deportivo

check more pundit talk

Sala i Martin to stay on until end of term

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that seven of the seventeen members of the current Barcelona board of directors will stay at teh club until the end of their mandate on 30 June of this year.

Besides president Joan Laporta, the others would be economic vice-president Joan Boix, sports vice-president Rafael Yuste, board secretary Josep Cubells, director Maria Elena Fort and treasurer Xavier Sala i Martín, who would that way not actively take part in the upcoming elections.

According to Article 38.f of the statutes of FC Barcelona, the members of Barcelona's board of directors who want to present themselves for re-election, should resign and leave their position a few weeks before the elections.

For the board to be able to continue the current mandate until the end of the term at the end of June of this year, the board should at least keep one third of the board members (read more here).

Read more:
Sala i Martin considering his position
Which directors will stay on until June?
Sala doesn't exclude future candidacy

Guixa wants representative fan clubs in board

Speaking with members of the advisory council of Barcelona fan clubs, Barcelona presidential candidate Jaume Guixà [picture, second from the right] has said that he wants the fan clubs to have a representative in the board of the club:

"If the candidacy of Jaume Guixà is the chosen one, the spokesperson of the advisory council of the fan clubs will be part of the board of directors, because we think that the fan clubs should be represented. To carry out this proposal we will need to change the statutes.

The position will be linked with the role of the person as spokesman of the advisory council and won't be attributed to a specific person, so that it won't always be occupied by the same person. That person will have the right to speak but not to vote and will not have to put down a bank guarantee."

Read more:
Guixa wants crèche at Camp Nou
Rosell most popular candidate on Facebook
Guixa asks president Laporta to resign

Ferrer: "We want to convince Txiki to stay"

Barcelona assets vice-president and presidential candidate Jaume Ferrer has opened an account at online question service Formspring. This blog will follow the account and keep you updated on the questions and answers published on there.


Shouldn't the reclassification of the Miniestadi be stopped?
We're not talking about a sale, but about a way to make the club richer with the reclassification of an area that can be given a new residential value.

You talk about continuing the project but with a change of style. How will that change become concrete?
Basically you'll see it in the relations with the institutions and in the efficiency. Also in the discretion, because I don't think the president of Barça has to appear in the press every day since for me, the most important people are the players. The directors should manage things and we often need to work in silence.

The social projects that the club has developed make me feel proud. And if I'm not wrong, the agreement with Unicef finalizes in 2011. What is the probability that the deal will be renewed if you are elected as president?
We also want to be more than a club in the world and we achieve that by continuing to wear Unicef on the shirt.

Who do you want as sports director?
We count on Txiki Begiristain and we want to convince him to stay. He has done a good job as head of the technical department and we believe in this model of sports management that is based on his position, in addition to the coach of the first team and the head of the youth football section, and that has given us so many successes.

There is a condition in the statutes that says you should have your legal residence in Catalonia if you want to become president of FC Barcelona. As a Majorcan catalanist, I want to ask you if you don't think that the catalanism of Joan Laporta is becoming a little xenophobic.
The club must and will not abandon its Catalan identity and what we need to do is recover the good relations with the institutions. On the other hand, it is also needed that a member from here, from Mallorca or from Cadiz should feel equally comfortable.

Read more:
"My project is totally innovative"
"Focus on America, Asia and Africa"
"I'm the current management without Laporta"

Benedito wants to be the third way

Speaking at a meeting with his campaign team last week, Barcelona presidential candidate Agustí Benedito has suggested that his project wants to be the alternative for on the one hand, the board candidacy and on the other hand, the candidacy of former Barcelona sports vice-president Sandro Rosell:

"Our project has emerged and grows from the base, from the commitment to the general interest of the club and the club members, who are the real owners of FC Barcelona. We want to renew a project that has lost its cohesive effect and that is under discussion between the arrogant continuism and the galactic temptation.

We need to put a very high barrier between the Barça of all of us and the private business interests of a few people. FC Barcelona needs loyal leaders who will always, first and foremost, think about the interests of the club, which are above everything.

The continuism that is proposed doesn't guarantee the continuity of the successes, on the contrary. It's a self-centred perversion that has nothing to do with the tradition of our club. The continuism is the inability to maintain a minimal cohesion in the management team, as we have clearly seen by the falling apart of the board of directors.

Our alternative also differs from the project of change that emerges from resentment and a bitter confrontation, a project that comes from a very exclusive sector of the club, an option that is closely linked to business opportunities in the sports industry and that is distanced from the ways of behaving at this club and this country. In addition, that project dangerously resembles models that are used by our historical opponents. Opponents should not be imitated, they should be faced."

Read more:
Benedito: "Stadium shouldn't be visible from the moon"
Candidacies carrying out polls
Benedito feels neglected by media

The Quote: Josep Guardiola

"As long as we are competing for the league and the Champions League, there will be little electoral upset. It depends on us."


Josep Guardiola,
Barcelona manager

read more election quotes here

Rosell preparing election stunt

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that former Barcelona sports vice-president and presidential candidate Sandro Rosell has prepared a "surprise that will go around the world".

The plan of Rosell, which he would only reveal at the end of the election campaign, will reportedly cause a bigger impact than the two big transfers Barcelona president Joan Laporta could announce before the elections on 13 June.

Read more:
Rosell to come out in second half of April
Ex-players Amor and Migueli linked with Rosell
Rosell will have board of 17 or 18 directors

Most read of the week

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


1.
Logo and first campaign slogan Benedito revealed

2.
Ferrer becomes official continuity candidate

3.
Cruyff becomes honorary president

Ferrer presenting three new team members

Over the past weeks, Barcelona assets vice-president and presidential candidate Jaume Ferrer has officially presented three people who will be part of his board team, besides the five current directors (Albert Perrín, Alfons Castro, Jacint Borràs, Josep Anton Colomer and Jordi Torrent) who have supported Ferrer from the start.

Carles Ayats [picture above] is a 39 year old Catalan real estate developer of sports and shopping centers. Catalan sports paper Sport claimed that he's a former roller hockey player. Ayats could get involved in the social area of the club if Ferrer is elected as president.

Ramon Estebe [first picture below], a 45 year old Catalan lawyer, is founder and partner of the Instructa law firm. He is linked with several commissions of the Catalan football federation, of which he is also an external legal adviser. The role of Estebe in a possible board of directors wouldn't yet be defined.

Josep Ribas [second picture below] is a 49 year old Catalan architect who is a partner at the Ribas & Ribas architectural firm in Barcelona, that is among other things collaborating with famous French architect Jean Nouvel on several project in Catalonia.

Read more:
Director Torrent will be right-hand man Ferrer
Former vice-president Franquesa to support Ferrer
Director Colomer to be treasurer of Ferrer

Former vice-president Castells unlikely candidate

Asked about a possible participation in the elections for president of FC Barcelona in June (read more here), former Barcelona first vice-president Joan Castells has said in an interview with Catalan local television station Teletaxi TV that he is looking at the options, but that there is little chance he will be a candidate himself:

"At this moment, I have spoken with a lot of people and I don't exclude anything, but there is a probability of no more than 20 percent that I will run in the elections. On the other hand, if another candidacy would make me an offer, I would analyze it."

Joan Castells is the 57-year old chairman and chief executive of Spanish mutual insurance company Fiatc. In 2000, he was a pre-candidate in the elections for president of Barcelona but he ended up joining the candidacy of then vice-president Joan Gaspart.

After Gaspart won the elections, Castells was appointed as economic vice-president of the club. In December 2002, Castels resigned as first vice-president after Gaspart refused to call early elections. In the 2006 elections, Castells decided not to run and supported pre-candidate Jordi Medina.

Read more:
Former director Castells considering election role
Llaurado close to renouncing his candidacy
Opposition figure offered place in candidacy

The Pundit: Josep M Fonalleras on strategy Rosell

« The discrete strategy of Sandro Rosell seems to be the winning one even before he presents his candidacy. I don't know if it's arabic or chinese, but the saying seems to be perfectly valid: "Sit down on the doorstep of your house and watch the corpse of your enemy pass by." »

Josep M. Fonalleras,
Sport

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