Poll result: Who do you (not) want to be president?

This is the final result (in percentages) of this blog's Who would you vote for in the elections for president of FC Barcelona? poll that was held one day before the elections:

Sandro Rosell 35,9
Marc Ingla 25,6
Agustí Benedito 20,5
Jaume Ferrer 14,6
Don't know/Don't answer 3,4

This is the final result (in percentages) of this blog's Who do you NOT want to be the next president of FC Barcelona? poll that was held one day before the elections:

Sandro Rosell 61,9
Marc Ingla 12,4
Agustí Benedito 11,9
Jaume Ferrer 9,4
Don't know/Don't answer 4,5

Polls: Who do you (not) want to be president?

(second poll below!)

Live Coverage: Fourth presidential debate

Barcelona presidential candidates Agustí Benedito, Jaume Ferrer, Marc Ingla and Sandro Rosell hold the foourth and last presidential debate on Catalan television channel TV3. Re-fresh!

The presidency of Laporta

Benedito: "Laporta is the president of the best Barça in history. He changed the club at a crucial moment. The problem is that he later forget about the original project."

Ferrer: "Like Guardiola, I would say thanks to the president for those seven years. During this presidency we changed the club. We won a record number of trophies. Economically we've recovered. We have more members and fan clubs than ever."

Ingla: "I also want to say thanks to the president. Another thing I want to point out is the fight against the hooligans. At the end, he made overexposed himself a bit."

Rosell: "The first big decision was to keep the violent people out of the stadium. The second was to put unicef on the shirt, I want to congratulate the coach for that. And thirdly, the appointment of Guardiola. Not good were the political involvement and the link with the members. Economically there are too much expenses."

Sports area

Ferrer: "What is working, shouldn't be touched. We will continue with the same playing style and the same people. We'll put even more emphasis on the youth academy and the other sections."

Ingla: "We want to continue. We also want to keep Txiki, one of the architects of this model, like Rijkaard and Cruyff. If Txiki wouldn't continue, Txiki and Guardiola will help to decide on his successor. We should have youth academies abroad."

Rosell: "This is the model we've started in 2003, so we'll keep the same model. Since Txiki has already said he won't stay, we will appoint somebody else. We will offer Guardiola a contract of 6 years, that will be renewable each year. We will close deals with foreign clubs."

Benedito: "We all share this model, but the model isn't linked with people."

Ferrer: "Txiki didn't say he will stop. I talked with him and I'm convinced he will want to continue."

Rosell: "If Txiki wants to continue, we'll talk with him and give him the chance to explain himself, we'll explain him our project and if Guardiola als wants it, he'll continue."

Ingla: "Sandro has a youth academy in Qatar and that could cause conflicts of interests."

Rosell: "It's just a solidary project. And I will sell my company."

Ingla: "We have been contacted by Rooney and two, three other players but we passed the information to Txiki."

Ferrer+Rosell+Benedito: "The people from the sports departmen should decide on the transfers, we can only put financial limits."

Economic area

Ingla: "We're far better than in 2003. Unicef is a good decision. Foster, We won't execute it."

Rosell: "We will reduce the expenses, so we can keep on growing."

Benedito: "We should make profit. We should not be forced to sell assets if we want to invest."

Ferrer: "The economic situation of the club is very good. In 2003, we lost money. Now we're making profits."

Rosell: "Unicef will continue, Foster won't be executed but we will profoundly remodel the stadium."

Benedito: "If we will be elected, we will stop the reclassification of the miniestadi site."

Ingla: "The times of the games can't be changed, the televisions won't accept it."

Ferrer: "It's populist Rosell wants to play at 5pm, the television rights will drop by 50%."

Social area

Rosell: "I've talked with a lot of members and want to give them again the feeling that they the owners of the club."

Benedito: "We want to make the members feel represented. Rosell is the reprensentative of the elite."

Ferrer: "we want to keep the people happy by winning, that's the first thing. We want the most Catalan and the most global Barça in history. The foundation should also continue with the international agreements."

Ingla: "We want to give more comfort to the members when coming to the stadium. We want to help the members who have financial problems. We don't want to exclude anyone."

Final statement

Benedito: "We'll the candidacy of the people. No one expected we would arrive here and we will fight until the end."

Ferrer: "The continuity of the best Barça in history is in play."

Ingla: "We shouldn't change the model of the club. Our candidacy has the most experience, we're the guarantee of this model."

Rosell: "We know what the member wants, everything what he wants is in our program. We won't fail."

Rosell company involved in Brazilian investigation

1. On 19 November 2008, the Brazilian national team plays a friendly game against Portugal to inaugurate the remodelled Walmir Campelo Bezerra stadium, usually known as Bezerrão, in the federal district of Brasília.

The match is organized by Ailanto, a Brazilian company of current Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell, that bought the rights for the friendly game from Catalan sports marketing company Bonus Sports Marketing (BSM), that is also owned by Rosell.

BSM had earlier bought the rights of the Brazilian team from International Sports Events (ISE), a company that is located on the Cayman Islands and that owns the rights of the friendly games of the Brazilian national team.

2. In March 2009, regional Brazilian radio station CBN Brasília reports that there's an investigation of the public prosecutor ongoing regarding the contract for the organization of the friendly between the governement of Brasilia and Ailanto.

The press reports say that the radio claims that Ailanto is an apparent ghost company that wouldn't even have an own phone and that Rosell, who is said to be linked with ISE, is an intimate friend of Ricardo Teixeira, the president of the Brazilian football federation who in the past has already been linked to similar irregularities.

As a consecuence of the media reports, Paulo Tadeu, a member of the regional parlement, asks for more information about the case which leads to a report by the Court of Audit. In July 2009, five public prosecutors issue a "public civil action of responsibility for an act of administrative misconduct" against governor José Roberto Arruda, secretary of sports Agnaldo Silva de Oliveira and Ailanto.

3. The public prosecutor basically points out that the correct procedures regarding the awarding and the executing of the contract - that was closed only one week before the game while the event couldn't be organized in such a short time according to the prosecutor - have not been followed. For example, several documents have not been presented in due time or were incomplete, and the governor personally gave the order for some payments.

Regarding the fee that was paid by the governement to Ailanto for the rights on the game and the organization, the public prosecutor says that the price of around 4,1 million euros is too high, using the word "absurd", that the fee is not properly explained and that the government also paid some costs that according to the contracts should have been paid by Ailanto.

The public prosecutor claims that Ailanto, that is described as a company ad hoc, "acted with a fraudulent intention and clearly in bad faith" and concludes by asking the judge for further investigations and to condemn all three parties involved.

As for Ailanto, the public prosecutor asks, among other things, to condemn the company to pay back the entire fee (together with the two others) and to exclude the company of doing business or getting any financial support from the government for the coming three years.

4. In September of last year, the lawyers of Ailanto put down their reply to the acusations of the public prosecutor. Ailanto basically claims that the public prosecutor made a mistake regarding the procedure that had to be followed for the awarding of the contract so that the accusation at that point is invalid.

Regarding the fee that was paid, Ailanto denies that it would be too high and explains how it has come to the final price. The secretary of sports also puts down his declaration while the governor was called up to testify at the end of March of this year.

Nevertheless, in November 2009, the local police launches the 'Box of Pandora' operation in Brasília, targetting a wide-spread network of government corruption, involving governor José Roberto Arruda, who is arrested and put in prison last February. In April, Arruda is released on bail. The now ex-governor still has to testify in the 'Brazil vs Portugal' case.

5. After some rumours about the case were spreading on the internet, former Barcelona press officer Jordi Badia starts a series on the matter on his blog on Friday 21 May. In several episodes, Badia explains the case in detail, adding links to press reports and official documents.

The news is picked up by the mainstream media on Tuesday 25 May after Rosell announces that he will file a lawsuit against Barcelona presidential candidate Marc Ingla, who had suggested in an interview that a company of Rosell had been "accused" in Brazil (read more here).

Rosell has been reluctant to talk about the matter and his candidacy did not put out any press release regarding the case. The defense of Rosell and people from his team is that Ailanto is not involved in any judicial case, that the public prosecutor is only investigating the corruption scandal linked to the governor and that his company in that regard has been asked to give information, like hundreds of other companies.

Last Friday, Ingla presented a note from a Brazilian law firm that says that Ailanto is being judicially investigated in a case of possible fraud.

Read more:
Rosell to file lawsuit against Ingla

disclaimer: none of what is written above is the personal opinion of the author. the post is based on public news reports and presumed official documents, whose authenticity hasn't been challenged by any of the parties involved. if there is any doubt about the terminology used in this post, the words should be interpreted in a non-legal way. if anyone feels not correctly treated by this post, he can asks for a rectification by sending this blog a mail to the address that can be found at the right and below.

Guixa will vote for Ferrer

Speaking at a press conference and further explaining his position in an open letter, former Barcelona presidential pre-candidate Jaume Guixà, who didn't pass the cut of the signatures, has said that he will vote on Sunday for presidential candidate Jaume Ferrer:

"Although I dislike the excesses of Laporta, I will vote for Jaume Ferrer. I will vote for him because I think he's a solid, serious, discreet and serene person who can deal with the pressure, because he believes in the youth academy and because I know the players and coaches respect him.

I will vote for Jaume Ferrer because he has been the most conciliatory candidate in the debates and because I like his latest proposal to include in the statutes of the club the incompatibility between being a director and having businesses in the world of sports."

Read more:
Guixa will make his vote public
The final number of signatures of support
Plaza will return blank ballot paper

Cartoon 44: A Camp Nou 2.0?

Fan A:
Soriano proposes to create a Camp Nou 2.0.

Which would mean that the fans could get all kind of information through their mobile phone.

Fan B:
I prefer a Camp Nou where we win all games with at least 2-0.

(click the cartoon to enlarge)


by kap

source:
el mundo deportivo

check more election cartoons here

Weekly Round-Up (26): Four days to the vote

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

The process of electing the next president of FC Barcelona has entered its final week with the four candidates – Jaume Ferrer, Sandro Rosell, Marc Ingla, and Agusti Benedito – expected to take part in a series of debates organised by the Catalan media.

The first presidential debate, which was covered live by the blog, took place on Tuesday, and will have its follow up event today, June 10, at 22:30, under the sponsorship of Catalan television channel 8tv.

The campaign period will wrap up on Saturday, June 11, followed by a day of reflection on June 12 during which no election related activities will be allowed, and will culminate in the holding of the final vote on Sunday, 13 June, at the Camp Nou grounds.

>>> read the complete weekly round-up here

Live Coverage: Third presidential debate

Barcelona presidential candidates Agustí Benedito, Jaume Ferrer, Marc Ingla and Sandro Rosell held the third presidential debate on Catalan television channel 8tv.

Contract renewal Xavi

Rosell: "It's a good thing if the technical staff has approved it. He will most probably become the player with the most games at the club.

Benedito: "I'm happy."

Ingla: "Good news. Xavi has the Barça DNA, he could become a coach at the club later.

Ferrer: "He deserves to finish his career at Barça."

Role of the president

Ingla: "The president shouldn't intervene. The president shouldn't get involved in the sports area. A president shouldn't propose players to the coach and put pressure on them."

Rosell: "Everyone has his task but the president has to mark the limits."

Ferrer: "It depends on the moment. If Guardiola asks for Chygrynskiy after winning the treble, it's difficult not to follow him. But the president shouldn't think he knows more than the coach. He should stay away from the technical decisions and not want to throw out for example Rijkaard after some games, or dismiss Tito Vilanova [goes for Rosell]."

Benedito: "The president should only put economic limits."

Ferrer: "In February 2005, Rosell wanted to throw out Rijkaard and replace him by Gratacós, and later Scolari."

Ingla: "I confirm this."

Rosell: "That's not tru, I said we should turn things around or else the league could slip away. And first we indeed thought about Gratacos, because we didn't have money for another coach."

Benedito: "I was at that time part of the sports commission, following the handball section. I didn't have power to decide. And Rosell was indeed interventionist. Ingla also, in the marketing department."

Ingla: "I remember perfectly that Rosell wanted to change the coach just before winning the first league. As far as the marketing department is concerned, we were working hard to change things but I always worked with the permission of the board."

Ferrer: "Rosell has businesses in the world of football and that makes him wanting to intervene."

Rosell: "I will sell my business if I'm elected and I never represented players, I'm mostly working for multinationals. The times are also different, now the model is clear."

Ferrer: "Rosell left in 2005, because he didn't like the model we were building. Like Ingla in 2008, who also wanted Mourinho."

Rosell: "I left because we weren't executing the election program."

Ingla: "In November, we already wanted Guardiola. In January, Mourinho offered himself, so we went to see him but upon return I told the president we couldn't sign him. I have witnesses of that meeting, like former director Murtra."

Ingla: "Rosell brought lists with his favourite players to the board, like Maniche, Costinha and others, and the sports director had to choose."

Rosell: "We should finish the youth centre."

Ferrer: "We will finish it this year."

Rosell: "We want another youth academy, also for the other sections."

Ferrer: "We already have that."

Benedito: "We need more youth academy and private jets."

Ferrer: "Benedito has never been in the board so he can't know all that. Most private jets are put at our disposal by the FIFA and others to go and get the prizes of the players."

Successor Guardiola? Do we want to keep the style?

Ingla: "We should keep the style we put in place in 2003. We should have a long-term view."

Ferrer: "We'll see what happens with Guardiola, we'll start with 2-3 more years and then we'll see if he wants to stay."

Rosell: "We will try to convince Guardiola to stay for the six years. We should keep the style."

Youth academy

Ingla and Ferrer: "We want a more global youth academy."

Rosell and Benedito: "We should only have the academy in Barcelona."

Youth stand

Rosell: "We want it because we want more animation in the stadium."

Ingla: "The Catalans are like this, over the last years the atmosphere has already gotten better. A united youth stands is a chance for the hooligans to get back in."

Benedito: "Rosell is playing with fire, although I agree we need more animation. But we should analyze the issue very carefully."

Ferrer: "At the game against Inter for example, we had the best animation in years."

Social project

Ingla: "The member will have the power to decide in several area, like for exmple the honorary members. We want to stay solidary with the world around, but also with the members, who we want to help in difficult moments. We want to be closer than ever to the member."

Rosell: "We want to change the hours of the games in 2012 and play in the afternoon, so the families and children can come to the stadoum."

Benedito: "The fact that we have members is something unique in the world and we should finally give him the power he should have."

Ferrer: "We have listened to the members and we will implement what they asked us. We should renew the stadium so it's more user-friendly. We should offer cheaper packages for away games. We wants to be more solidary than ever."

Benedito: "We want to ask the members the chance to vote on proposals, for example every two months."

Ingla: "Barcelona is a feeling, we want to give everyone the chance to become a member, although we don't want to promote it."

Rosell, Ferrer and Benedito: "We should regulate the entrance of new members."

Ten impertinent questions: Jaume Ferrer

Barcelona presidential candidate Jaume Ferrer gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.


1. You are the figurehead of the Pujol i Ferrusola family?
I'm a personal friend of Josep for thirty years. There's nothing more to it.

2. Did you ask for the resignation of Laporta after the vote of no confidence?
No.

3. Laporta insulted you and threw a bottle at you when he find out you wanted to be a candidate?
We had a discussion during which the tone was raised a bit, like during other discussions we had.

4. The video campaign was a mistake?
It was made by some volunteers, the lyrics were the most important thing of it.

5. Have you been told that they overused photoshop in your campaign photo?
Many times.

6. Was it a mistake to use Laporta's phrase 'Que n'aprenguin' [They can learn from this]?
It's a nice phrase.

7. Does it hurt that they say you were the weakest in the debate on Catalunya Ràdio?
There is a poll that gives me 23% of the voting intentions.

8. Does it hurt that the financial problems of your company became public?
Weekly paper 'El Triangle' did that to damage my image and because they were ordered to.

9. Are you the puppet of Laporta?
Ignore those who say that. It's an electoral strategy.

10. Your phone has been tapped?
I am not aware of that.

Read more:
Ferrer: "Barça is a club that unites"
Rumours about pact Benedito-Ingla-Ferrer
Ferrer wants to personally head social area

interview: toni frieros

Plaza will return blank ballot paper

Asked by this blog who he will vote for in the elections for president of FC Barcelona on Sunday, former Barcelona presidential pre-candidate Alexis Plaza, who didn't pass the signatures' cut, has said he won't give his vote to any of the four candidates:

"As far as I see it: whoever wins, everything will stay the same. We were the only real alternative for what happened over the past eight years. I also don't consider it to be ethical to use my position to favour another candidate.

I will of course go to the Camp Nou on Sunday to vote, but I will return a blank ballot paper. Said that, I can assure that no matter who will be elected as president, he will have my support until the end."

Read more:
Plaza: "I hope to run again in 2022"
The final number of signatures of support
Plaza rejects offer to sell signatures

Rumours about pact Benedito-Ingla-Ferrer

Spanish news agency EFE claims, based upon sources from the candidacies involved, that Barcelona presidential candidates Agustí Benedito, Marc Ingla and Jaume Ferrer could make a pact ahead of the elections on Sunday.

Because none of the three candidates would according to the latest internal polls have a chance to defeat Sandro Rosell on Sunday, with the former sports vice-president getting around 40% of the voting intentions. The main problem would be the decision on who would lead the united candidacy.

Catalan radio station RAC1 reported that they asked the three candidacies about the rumours of a pact and that all denied. Speaking to Catalan radio station Catalunya Ràdio, Benedito repeated that he will not make a deal before the elections.

Read more:
Benedito wants sections to have own president
Ingla reveals his plan for Camp Nou 2.0
Ferrer: "Barça is a club that unites"

Cartoon 43: Laporta above election battle

Laporta:
I declare open the electoral campaign. May the best win. As the current president, I can't publicly support anyone.

(click the cartoon to enlarge)


by alex

source:
golsud

see more cartoons here

[picture] The second debate

The four presidential candidates held last night the second presidential candidates debate on Spanish television station TVE.

From left to right:
Sandro Rosell, Jaume Ferrer, Marc Ingla, Agustí Benedito

Ten impertinent questions: Agusti Benedito

Barcelona presidential candidate Agustí Benedito gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.


1. Did you resign because Joan Laporta didn't appoint you as director?
No, that's something they said to divert attention. The reason is that he tried to do business on a personal level through a customer of the club.

2. How many times did he promise you to be a board member and how many did you ask him?
Never.

3. How did you collect the money for the campaign?
It was funded by all members of the candidacy. Some put in a little more and are going to the bank.

4. What about the rumors about your financial solvency?
If we are able to put down the bank guarantee? We'll fulfil the requirement.

5. What is your profession?
I am involved in some long-term projects. For example, trying to sell and transport water from some glaciers in Patagonia to the Middle East.

6. Do you really think that you can be president of Barça?
We have a chance. I won't say whether it's big or small.

7. How did you cope during those fourteen years behind the scenes when you prefer the spotlight?
Because that's not true, it's what I like less. He who wants to appear on television and in the newspapers wouldn't have waited so long.

8. If you do not win, will you accept an offer from the new board?
I don't think so, no. If we do not win and the circumstances are right, i might take part in the elections of 2016.

9. How many cars did you sell in your life?
More than 30,000.

10. What's that about wanting to be the president of Barça with a beard and no tie?
Beard, half of the candidates have a beard. And tie, I have not worn a tie in years so it's not something I'm now doing just for the campaign.

Read more:
Benedito wants sections to have own president
The first presidential debate
Benedito introduces "associate" and "barcelonista"

interview: juan manuel díaz

Ingla reveals his plan for Camp Nou 2.0

The candidacy of Barcelona presidential candidate Marc Ingla has yesterday presented at a press conference their "Camp Nou 2.0" project that includes the implementation of new technologies to make a visit to the stadium more user-friendly.

The candidacy wants to install a free wifi network at the Camp Nou and develop a mobile phone application that would, among other things, include a guide to your seat and to other facilities in the stadium, a chat application, line-ups, real-time statistics and action replays.

Read more:
Ingla: "I will be a very quiet president"
The first presidential debate
Ingla contradicts presumed season-ticket upgrade

[picture] Sandro Rosell at the market

Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell visited yesterday a market in Barcelona.

Cartoon 42: Jaume Ferrer

(click the cartoon to enlarge)


by fahad bin talal

source:
facebook

check more election cartoons here

Rosell wants Sala i Martin as advisor

Alex Santos, journalist of Spanish news agency EFE, reports on his blog that during a press conference today, Javier Faus, a member of the board team of Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell, has said that Rosell wants to count on current Barcelona treasurer Xavier Sala i Martín as advisor if he is elected as president.

Rosell wants to form a council of Catalan economists who would give the board advice regarding the finances of the club. Sala i Martín, who's an economy professor at Columbia University in New York and who joined the Barcelona board of directors last year, is one of the names on the list of people Rosell wants to count on.

Read more:
Sala i Martin to leave the club in July
Seven board members continue until 30 June
Rosell has concrete plan to limit club members

Poll Voting Intentions: One Week Before

This is the final result (in percentages) of this blog's Who would you vote for in the elections for president of FC Barcelona? poll that was held one week before the elections:

Marc Ingla 37.7
Sandro Rosell 24.3
Agusti Benedito 15.9
Jaume Ferrer 15.5
Don't know/Don't answer 6.7

compare with the results of february, march, april and may here

check more voting intention poll results

Guixa will make his vote public

Former Barcelona presidential pre-candidate Jaume Guixà, who didn't pass the cut of the signatures in 2006 and this year, has said in an open letter that he will announce ahead of the elections whom he will vote for on Sunday.

In his letter, Guixà gives a personal evaluation of all four candidates and already says that his vote won't go to Sandro Rosell.

Guixà claims that Rosell doesn't believe in the youth academy and notes that during his time at the club, Rosell dismissed Tito Vilanova, then a youth coach and now the assistant of Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola. His main argument is that Rosell has businesses in the world of football and could take advantage of his position as president.

Read more:
Guixa: "We remain the clear alternative to Laporta"
The final number of signatures of support
Guixa wants to export youth academy

[picture] The first debate

The four presidential candidates held yesterday the first presidential candidates debate on Catalan radio station Catalunya Ràdio (read more here).

From left to right:
Jaume Ferrer, Sandro Rosell, [talkshow host Manel Fuentes], Agustí Benedito, Marc Ingla

[video] Japanese support for Ingla

Cartoon 41: President Benedito

Avi Barça:
Here we have the next president of Barça.


(click the cartoon to enlarge)


by sejo

source:
candidacy agustí benedito

check more election cartoons here

Ingla contradicts presumed season-ticket upgrade

Catalan sports paper Sport claimed yesterday that Barcelona presidential candidate Marc Ingla and several key members of his candidacy have tried in 2005 to get an upgrade of the season-tickets of themselves and some family members and that former Barcelona vice-president Albert Vicens had organized the whole upgrade for board members.

After several denials yesterday evening and this morning, when among other things Ingla said at a press conference that he already has the same seat for over fourty years, the candidacy put out a press release with more detailed information.

In the note, it is explained that Vicens was never in charge of any relocation of season-tickets, that Ingla and Alfons Godall still have the same seats as before they joined the board in 2003 and that Vicens and Ferran Soriano changed their seats in 2008 through the normal procedure of relocation that is open to all club members.

Read more:
Ingla: "I will be a very quiet president"
Former vice-president changes Rosell for Ingla
Ingla wants to appoint club ambassadors

[2003] Jewish name causes upset in first debate

source: el mundo deportivo, monday 9 june 2003, page 4

Bassat explodes against Llaurado

The publicist expressed his profound upset because of the references to his second name

The first debate between the six candidates to preside FC Barcelona included a sad incident between Jaume Llauradó and Lluís Bassat. The publicist expressed his discomfort for the references of Llauradó about the absence of his second name on the papers used to collect signatures.

"If you want, you can call me Lluís Bassat Coen. That's how I was born and my mother felt very bad about what was said about it. It is a Jewish name and don't I have any problem to recognize that publicly. Nobody can exclude anyone because of race, religion or sex."

Llauradó defended himself claiming to be "a defender of human rights" and branded his opponent as "manipulative". After this accusation, Bassat rose from his seat and threatened to leave the television studios.

In the end he stayed, but not before revealing that a candidate a few weeks ago ordered a survey that asked whether a Jew could be president of Barça. Despite everything that happened, Bassat and Llauradó had an emotional embrace at the end of the program.

check more 2003 election stories

The first presidential debate

Barcelona presidential candidates Agustí Benedito, Jaume Ferrer, Marc Ingla and Sandro Rosell held the first presidential debate on Catalan radio station Catalunya Ràdio.


Sports area

Ingla (against Rosell): "You won't even call Txiki when you are appointed, so tell the people what you really want."

Rosell: "We can't reveal our plan because that would make it more expensive."

Ingla: "Why don't you explain your business in Brasil? Maybe there's nothing wrong but the member at least has the right to get informed."

Rosell: "I will sell my businesses I have related to the world of sports if I'm elected as president."

Rosell: "There haven't been enough players promoted to the first team over the last years. Only Pedro and Jeffren, who I bought with Busquets. We should work better with the youth academy."

Benedito: "Txiki won't continue, his time is over."

Rosell: "Cruyff wanted to sign the triple A of Valencia: Albelda, Aimar and Ayala."

Ingla: "This Barça is build by Cruyff, Txiki, Rijkaard and Pep. The project of Rosell will break with all that. He will bring his own people in."

Ferrer: "Ingla wasn't there when we won the six cups, so it's strange he now claims those successes."

Benedito and Rosell: "No one will change the sporting model, it's working."

Economic area

Rosell: "There are too many expenses and some aren't clear."

Ingla: "Economically, Barça is better than ever. And we want to double the budget in the next six years. We want to open embassies, we want to go out in the world."

Benedito: "We have more revenues but the expenses have also risen."

Ingla: "We're a sporting club, we shouldn't make profits."

Catalan identity and legacy of Laporta

Rosell, Ingla and Benedito: "Oliver won't continue."

Ingla: "I've included the Catalan flag in the shirt."

Ingla: "We want an open club, Rosell wants to close the club to some families."

Benedito: "Laporta has done good things but also bad things. We shouldn't have relations with the Uzbek mafia."

Ferrer: "Barça didn't have a contract with Uzbekistan, but with an Uzbek club to play a friendly game."

Rosell: "40.000 people of Siberia could become club member and decide who will be the new president. We don't want to lose the Catalan identity of the club. We need to regulate the members."

Benedito: "The club member without season-tickets should get a discount of 50% for the tickets."

Ingla: "We want an open club."

Ferrer: "The number of members should be limited. We want another system so the people can be linked to the club in another way."

Ingla: "It's sad Rosell has made photos with factions of the Boixos Nois hooligans."

Rosell: "We want zero violence at the stadium."

Benedito: "The Boixos Nois are supporting Rosell, they are shouting 'Rosell president'. In meetings of Rosell with fan groups there have been representatives of the violent groups."

Ingla: "We need youth academies all over the world."

Rosell: "We should not have own youth academies but control the players through agreements."

Ferrer: "We have our academy in Argentina and it's working."

Conclusion

Ferrer: "What is working shouldn't be touched."

Benedito: "We are the alternative."

Ingla: "We have the best project, we're the guarantee that this model will continue. We've done a lot but there's a lot of work to do."

Rosell: "We know what the member want after a lot of meetings."

[picture] The paella of Marc Ingla

Barcelona presidentual candidate Marc Ingla yesterday invited the members of his campaign team and representatives of the press for a dinner.

Benedito wants sections to have own president

Speaking at a press conference were he presented his program for the sports area of the club, Barcelona presidential candidate Agustí Benedito has said that if he will be elected as president the non-football sections of the club will get their own president.

A president will be appointed at the basketball, handball, roller hockey and futsal sections and those will all get an own board of directors. The boards of the sections, that will also get more financial means, will have more autonomy to make sporting and organizational decisions.

Read more:
Benedito introduces "associate" and "barcelonista"
Rosell, Ingla, Ferrer and Benedito official candidates
Benedito: "Transfer of Villa won't influence vote"

Poll: Who would you vote for?

Ferrer: "Barça is a club that unites"

Barcelona presidential candidate Jaume Ferrer gave an interview to Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo.

translation: archie valparaiso

Sandro Rosell is planning to set up a travel agency with attractive prices for club members. Do you think that's a good idea?
Our idea is not to compete with travel agencies but to have more people at the club working to facilitate cheaper travel options.

Will the members who travel most have preference when it comes to distributing tickets for finals?
We'll try to come up with a system that's fair. Barça isn't like the English clubs, where the fans aren't the owners. Here, Barça's members own the club. Loyalty-building standards can be put in place but we can't discriminate against anyone here.

Do you agree with the appointment of Cruyff as honorary chairman?
It's already a done deal and I'm absolutely fine with it. I voted for the proposal. It's a big plus to have the figure of Johan Cruyff as an exclusive asset of FC Barcelona.

Who was your first choice, Mourinho or Guardiola?
There was a majority who preferred Guardiola and I was one of them.

Ingla as well?
Together with some other board members, he was in favour of bringing in a coach who'd be tougher in the changing-room. They went to see Mourinho to hire him. The facts can't be changed - they are what they are.

Is this going to be a dirty campaign?
Let's hope not.

So how do you feel about Perrín's harsh remarks?
Albert has his way of expressing himself - he says what he thinks. A campaign is dirty when people tell lies. You can tell the truth in one way or another, and the way you do it can be appropriate or not, but when you're telling the truth it's not a dirty campaign.

Who do you feel closer to, Sandro Rosell or Marc Ingla?
To Jaume Ferrer.

Will you join forces with anyone?
Everything is now a long way down the road. I think it's good for both Rosell and Ingla to put their projects before the members on the thirteenth of June. Sandro took the decision to leave the club in 2005 because he was in favour of a different model for the sports area, with the board being more directly involved and another way of doing things. It's also good for Ingla to make it [as far as the election], because he left too, in 2008, after the no-confidence vote, and he didn't believe in this project either. What I'm going to try to do is get the members to see that the project that ensures that things will continue to work the way they have so far is mine.

So Rosell and Ingla wanted to limit the coach's remit and be more hands-on?
Yes, definitely.

Do you think it's good for you for three candidates to make it through to the end?
I'm not thinking about what's good for me, but what's good for the club. For the members it's good for them to be able to choose between the different alternatives.

What do you think about the opinion polls?
Sandro comes out of them very well, although he was doing much better two months ago. It's good for me for the trend to be for Sandro to be losing votes while the others' shares are increasing. We're getting around 25 per cent at the moment, which tells us that we're making a lot of headway in terms of people's voting intentions.

What could be in danger for the future of the club if Rosell is elected chairman?
It's clear that it would be a much more hands-on sports model, with prototype coaches like Scolari, who they once tried to sell us on. It's more of a Florentino [Pérez]-like model – bringing in players as star signings. I'm not saying it doesn't work, but rather that the current model is working fine and I think that's what we should continue with. "If it ain’t broke, don't fix it," as they say.

Do you think Rosell is leading in the polls because he has the most charisma?
He is in the lead because for the last five years he's been seen as the possible chairman, as the opposition to Laporta. The members know a lot more about him than about the others.

Are the debates going to be decisive?
They suit me. People have to have a lot of cheek to lie in your face.

Are you in favour of more politics at Barça?
What I don't want to do as chairman of Barça is to be political. Barça is a club that unites, not one that divides. Although those who want to get involved in FC Barcelona have to understand that we have our values and one of them is that we are Catalans, as a perfectly normal thing, without getting hung up about it.

Are you satisfied with the performance of the sections under your leadership?
We feel proud. Also, we have four in-house coaches: the two Xavis, Pujalte, Carmona. Our idea is to continue to support the sections. The "more than a club" slogan comes from us being involved in multiple sports. We need to build a new Palau Blaugrana. That's one of the priorities, with a capacity of about 12,000. We're trying to achieve as much self-financing as we can for them. And that's where the Palau Blaugrana comes in.

Would you take Valero [former handball player and coach of barcelona] with you?
Valero is someone I admire not only because of his sporting successes but also as a person. We've talked a lot, because he's one of the club's advisers, and if we can use him to make Barça even greater, then that's what we'll do.

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

Read more:
Ferrer: "What is working should not be touched"
Rosell, Ingla, Ferrer and Benedito official candidates
Ferrer wants to personally head social area

interview: oriol domènech - sergi solé - josé luis artús

[2003] Txiki has talked with all six candidates

source: el mundo deportivo, sunday 8 june 2003, page 63

Txiki: "I don't support any candidate"

"I've met with everyone, but I won't commit myself to anyone until the day after the elections"

Txiki Begiristain has denied yesterday that he has joined one of the candidates for president of FC Barcelona. "I'm not supporting anyone," said the former player, who nevertheless has met, as he admitted, "with the six candidates and I've told the same thing to all, that at this moment I don't have the intention of reaching a deal with anyone until 16 June. If the new president then considers it appropriate to count on my services, we will talk about it."

In a statement to this paper, Txiki added that "everyone has my phone number and everyone knows my position. Do I have a preferences for someone in particular? No, and I precisely don't want to support anyone in concrete out of respect for all six."

Begiristain also said he had told Lluís Bassat, Joan Laporta, Jaume Llauradó, Jordi Majó, Josep Martínez-Rovira and Josep Maria Minguella that "I will be available, when one of them has won the election, to give them my opinion and to give them advice no matter if they want to go on with me or not."

check more 2003 election stories

Most read of the week

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


1.
Rosell has concrete plan to limit club members

2.
Xavi has a favourite candidate in the elections

3.
Plaza: "I hope to run again in 2022"