Ingla: "Barça should be reference of 21st century"

Barcelona presidential candidate Marc Ingla gave an interview to Catalan newspaper La Vanguardia.


You're the last one to join the campaign. You feel comfortable with that?
I'm starting in a privileged position. I have a history of a strong but at the same time discreet leadership. In 2003, I made a step forward and dedicated myself almost full-time to turning the club around economically. Ferran Soriano took up the role of general director while I took care of the commercial operations and the results were good. The marketing revenues went from 20 millions to 100 millions. In 2007, president Laporta asked me to become sports vice-president and I successfully managed the transition from the model of Frank Rijkaard to the sports project of Pep Guardiola, that he later was able to shape further with his wisdom and with the Barça dna he has. I'm not a new guy in this race. It's true that I maybe start a little late, but not that much, and I have a very strong team.

Sandro Rosell is the candidate to beat?
I don't think so. Sandro has been preparing this for a long time, but so have we. We are prepared and motivated.

Doesn't it worry you that the bar lies very high?
It's a fact that we have just won six titles, but there are always opportunities at the sports, economic and social areas. We have some phenomenal assets that can help us to become during the second decade the reference club of the 21st century. We have this historical chance to build something starting from the things that differentiate us from other clubs like our way of playing. We have a clear philosophy that is different to obtain for other clubs, and that is something we need to guarantee.

What do you think about the appointment of Cruyff as president of honour?
We will not turn back decisions that have been made by other boards. It would be a mess. We need to respect it. Just as we have the Josep Lluís Núñez museum. I like the philosophy of Cruyff, our current style has essential elements from Cruyff and the Holland school. But we should try to stay away from focusing too much on individuals.

What is your idea about the sports structure? Guardiola will continue... And Txiki?
Pep will of course continue. He's a key person and all we want to do is help him. I worked very well together with Txiki during the transition from Rijkaard to Guardiola, we did a lot of outgoing and incoming transfers, we analyzed several coaches. I count on him for the future, but we will have to know what his wishes are.

Some names. Joan Oliver.
Our intention is that he doesn't stay at the club. He's a good professional but we think that at this moment we need another type of general director, one that's a bit more technical and more dynamic.

Jaume Ferrer.
He's a good person who did a good job as treasurer. He's friendly and honest.

Sandro Rosell.
I think that mister Rosell is very connected with the world of football and that he is strongly influenced by the Brazilian style and that of their national team. It's a samba model. You can live fantastic nights, but sometimes the hangovers last too long. As a whole I think it's another model that is not the same as that of the current Barça.

Joan Laporta.
The president has now the image of a star, like one of the other contenders in this electoral race. But if I should stick with something, I would say that he's a very good person.

What is your goal?
During this second decade, I want to turn Barça into the reference club of the 21st century. Also into the richest club in the world and that means that there are challenges ahead regarding the globalization of the club, in areas outside Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain. As for the sports area, there's also a clear line that is very well managed by Josep Guardiola.

You feel capable for the job?
In 2003 we came to save the club, in 2007, when I took up the sports vice-presidency, I did that with respect and things went well, and now I have the same feeling, of calmness, of experience and knowledge, because I know the club very well from the inside, I know the difficulties of negotiating television contracts or contracts with Nike, Unicef or the one of Guardiola. I'm at a level of experience that gives me the strength to offer the club members a project of success. My style is to act modestly and starting from this modesty I feel capable of leading Barça.

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

Read more:
Ingla confirms that he will run for president
When will Rosell, Ferrer, Ingla and Salvat appear?
Godall confirms he is part of Ingla candidacy

interview: dagoberto escorcia