The Catalan Cave: Albert Lesan (Canal Catala)

in this section, we ask catalan and spanish sports journalists five questions about the elections for president of fc barcelona. today: albert lesan from catalan local television station canal català.


1. Jaume Ferrer has the qualities needed to be president of Barça?
Yes he has, although I want to see how he will manage the support or the poisoned gift that he received from Laporta.

2. You have publicly given your support to Sandro Rosell? Why?
I think it's the best thing that can happen to Barça. He is a great person and he wants to serve Barça and not serve himself. I know him for a while now and I like his club model and his way of being. We will very soon have a gentleman as president.

3. Joan Laporta would be re-elected if he could again take part in the elections?
Definitely not. It was already clear at the time of the motion of no confidence that people reject him. What is not very clear to me is if he will one day again preside the club.

4. Your talkshow has set up the Facebook group in support of the candidacy of Carles Rexach. What will happen now that the required number of 5.000 members has been achieved? Rexach will really take part? And if so, will he do that alone or will he have no other option than to look for an alliance with another candidate?
We are all waiting for the decision of Charlie. I know he is taking his possible candidacy very seriously, but I don't know if he in the end will dare to do it.

5. The decision to organize the elections on 13 June was right?
Horrible. Elections should be on a match day. Laporta's fear of losing control makes him commit this kind of blunders. I wonder what Laporta is afraid of? I hope that the veils will be lifted when the new president takes office. And if there is nothing wrong, they should say that everything is fine; but if there are punishable offenses, this should be reported.

THE EXTRAS If you were a club member of Barça, who would you vote for or certainly not vote for?
I'm not a member but for many years I went to the Camp Nou and paid for a family season-ticket. If I was, I would vote for Rosell.

All your possessions are at stake. Give the top-3 of the elections on 13 June.
Rosell, Benedito, Ferrer.

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) - cristian pulina (eurosport) - joan domènech(el periódico) - sergi mas(com ràdio)

The Catalan Cave: Sergi Mas (Com Radio)

in this section, we ask catalan and spanish sports journalists five questions about the elections for president of fc barcelona. today: sergi mas from catalan radio station com ràdio.


1. Many people see Ferran Soriano as the main rival of the favourite, Sandro Rosell. Where does the fame of Soriano come from?
I don't know where the fame is coming from. But let me ask. Which fame? It might come from his phlegm and his correct behaviour, from not saying one bad word. I don't know. I don't know him either. I have no idea if he could be a great president or a great average one. I don't know. We don't know each other. I know little about him.

2. You have already interviewed the most important pre-candidates. As far as their personality is concerned, who did you like most?
I interviewed all but Soriano - if he runs - and Rosell, who hasn't done interviews. The best one is Benedito. Guixà has the best image, the most calculating one is Ferrer. Godall, although he swore it, won't be a candidate. But they all have a bad strategy. They're not going to the media. We only know them by phone or by interviews. You have to go to and meet the media, rather than the fan clubs, to allow the people to know you. Before you go to the fan club and the members, you must first pass through the media. But that's their problem and that of their advisers.

3. Production company El Terrat, for which you have worked, will be in charge of the communication of the campaign of Sandro Rosell. It that a wise decision?
Wise decision? We shall see in due course. I don't know. I will have an opinion when I see what they do. Rosell and his team are old enough to know if they're right.

4. You are a well-known Espanyol fan. How are the elections seen from the Espanyol antourage? People aren't interested in it or they have a preference in favour or against a candidate?
As an Espanyol club member, it doesn't interest me. As a journalist, I feel passionate about it. It would be better if the next one would be a president who brings people together and not a warrior.

5. Your program is very popular in Catalonia. When preparing or presenting your program, are you aware of the fact that you can influence the opinion and perhaps the vote of the club members?
You always know that what you say or express will go beyond the 4, 400, 4.000 or 40.000 listeners you have. Because besides the listener, you also have other media that spread the following day what you have been broadcasting. And people know that. You keep in mind that you can have an influence, but I'm not saying things to influence but so that the listener - whatever team he's a fan of - has more information about the fellow he's going to vote for.

THE EXTRAS If you were a club member of Barça, who would you vote for or certainly not vote for?
If I was a member of Barça... With that kind of approach it's not possible for me to answer this.

All your possessions are at stake. Give the top-3 of the elections on 13 June.
I'm not putting in play my personal estate nor my pen. I just give my opinion. Rosell first, Soriano second, Benedito third.

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) - cristian pulina (eurosport) - joan domènech(el periódico)

The Catalan Cave: Joan Domenech (El Periodico)

in this section, we ask catalan and spanish sports journalists five questions about the elections for president of fc barcelona. today: joan domènech from catalan newspaper el periódico.


1. What is the biggest obstacle for a pact between Ferran Soriano and Alfons Godall?
I think there is none and if they don't reach an agreement, I would think it's a matter of strategy. It would be to the advantage of both. I think that Soriano wouldn't have a chance to win the elections on his own and if he teams up with Godall they would mutually reinforce each other.

2. Why is Sandro Rosell at this moment the big favourite?
Because ha has been able to prepare his candidacy for the last five years. Because he has known the club from within and because he has observed from outside what has been done well and what has been done badly. Because he has knowledge of the football industry, because he's a smart guy and, I suppose, has surrounded himself with smart people. And also because he can still count on the charisma and the prestige he gained when he was vice-president.

3. Jaume Ferrer is closer to Godall-Soriano or to Rosell?
He should be closer to Godall but some people from that candidacy alienate him. He wants to be the alternative to the two and he will distance himself from both.

4. Xavier Sala i Martín is an asset or a liability for Alfons Godall?
I am unaware about the image Sala i Martín in general has among the social mass of Barça. I do know the image he has in a more limited circle, which is that of the journalists, and that is not very good. I suppose he will be an asset for Godall because of his economic knowledge and because he could serve as "the bad guy" in the debates; he could be a liability if he puts too much emphasis on that bad guy image and overuses the haughty tone that he sometimes displays when he talks.

5. Is it possible that certain media or individual journalists will openly support a candidate?
Journalists may have their sympathies, but media will show a preference based on the sympathies their bosses have towards a candidate, not on that of the journalists on the field. Possibly some media will openly choose. It has happened before.

THE EXTRAS If you were a club member of Barça, who would you vote for or certainly not vote for?
With four months to go before the elections, I'm not choosing any of them. They all have something I like and something I don't like. If I would be a member, things would not be clear either. I would care a lot about maintaining the current sports model.

All your possessions are at stake. Give the top-3 of the elections on 13 June.
I would put a very small part on Rosell-Godall-Ferrer.

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) - cristian pulina (eurosport)

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)

The Catalan Cave: Sergi De Juan (El 9 Esportiu)

in this section, we ask catalan and spanish sports journalists five questions about the elections for president of fc barcelona. today: sergi de juan from catalan sports paper el 9 esportiu.


1. What will Ferran Soriano do?
I think that Ferran Soriano will run in the elections but he won't define his position until he has finished his job at Spanair and I don't think that will take long. Personally I think that he will join the continuity candidacy of Godall and that they are still negotiating. It is anyway clear to me that or he will be the number one or he will take part on his own.

2. Rosell's decision not to speak until the official calling of the elections is the right one?
Since the motion of no confidence was presented, Sandro Rosell has been working (in silence) to reach the presidency of FC Barcelona. Everything is very well calculated and prepared. I guess that if he still hasn't publicly presented his project, that is because that is what his advisors have recommended him but I think that he will do it soon because the date of the elections is now known (13 June). He also doesn't need to come out in public quickly because the club member of Barça already knows him and Sandro has been meeting during all this time with fan clubs and various club members.

3. How many candidates will there be on the ballot paper on 13 June?
I think there will be three candidacies if they all keep their word and don't make big alliances between them. The two continuity candidacies (Soriano+Godall and Jaume Ferrer) and that of Rosell. For the other pre-candidates, and those who will come out in the future, it will be very difficult to obtain the signatures.

4. Will Jaume Ferrer continue with his own candidacy?
There is speculation that he could close a deal with the group of Sandro Rosell, but he has said on more than one occasion that he intends to take part on his own. With the passage of time, we will see what he will do although at this moment he is working to run alone and he has an own campaign team.

5. Do you think it will be a tough campaign, between the candidates and/or in the media?
Unfortunately I think so. As it's clear not much will be changed regarding the sports area (they will all keep Guardiola), old personal grudges can get involved because most come from the board that won in 2003. Let's hope, for the good of the club and its image, that the candidates will talk about projects and that they don't play it dirty. It will be difficult.

THE EXTRAS As a club member of Barça, who will you vote for?
I still don't know it. First I have to know all the options and all the projects.

All your possessions are at stake. Give the top-3 of the elections on 13 June.
Right now all the polls say that Sandro Rosell goes ahead but you can never trust them completely ...

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)

The Catalan Cave: Victor Lozano (Onda Cero)

in this section, we ask catalan and spanish sports journalists five questions about the elections for president of fc barcelona. today: victor lozano from spanish radio station onda cero.


1. The two main candidates - Sandro Rosell and Alfons Godall - have a different campaign strategy with a more active Godall and a Rosell who is waiting. Both have chosen the best option for their particular interests?
Yes. Sandro has already done a lot of the work and showing up in public now can only harm him. As far as Godall is concerned, despite the fact that he's a director, he needs to come out more to be seen by the people as the standard-bearer of the continuism.

2. When will Ferran Soriano announce his decision on how he will take part in the elections?
Shortly after the electoral campaign has started, when he will see more clearly how the electoral landscape looks like.

3. Everybody talks about Rosell, Godall and Soriano. One of the other candidates (Ferrer, Benedito, Guixà) can cause an upset?
Absolutely not. In fact, the most likely thing is that they all end up trying to join one of the other candidacies.

4. Joan Laporta is an advantage or an obstacle for Alfons Godall?
If he knows how to manage it, it's an advantage, and actually a very big one.

5. What is the role of the media in the elections? Is it possible that certain media or individual journalists will openly support a candidate?
There sure will be alliances depending on the interests of each one. Barça is a very sweet cake and sadly everyone wants a piece of it, and even more so when it has chocolate and blueberries on it. In principle the press is watching things for now, although there are already some who have positioned themselves very clearly.

THE EXTRAS As a club member of Barça, who will you vote for?
Sandro Rosell

All your possessions are at stake. Give the top-3 of the elections on 13 June.
Sandro Rosell, Ferran Soriano, Alfons Godall

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)

The Catalan Cave: Abraham Clotet (Sport)

in this section, we ask catalan and spanish sports journalists five questions about the elections for president of fc barcelona. today: abraham clotet from catalan sports paper sport.


1. Ferran Soriano could decide to run for the presidency with an own candidacy, meaning without teaming up with the continuity bid Godall-Sala?
Everything seems to indicate that he is preparing to compete for the presidency. Because of his profile, it would surprise me if he take up a role as number two.

2. Why is Sandro Rosell staying silent?
I think Rosell doesn’t want to wear himself out too soon. He knows that if he talks, he has more to lose than to win. I think that he will wait until the very last minute so ha can take as much advantage as possible of the good image many people have of him.

3. People talk a lot about possible agreements between candidates. Rosell, Godall, Ferrer, Benedito and Guixà are the pre-candidates so far: who are the two that would most likely strike a deal?
I think Rosell won't close a deal with anyone. Regarding the others, it wouldn't surprise me at all if they would all end up looking for alliances.

4. Fifteen directors, five of whom were vice-presidents, have left in the past 7 years. Is Joan Laporta that difficult to live with?
Laporta brought together the people that at that moment wanted change, a heterogeneous group in which there soon were differences of opinion. With the passage of time and the making of decisions the positions drifted more and more apart and, in light of the facts, the board became more presidential.

5. The decision to organize the elections on 13 June was right?
In my opinion it was better to hold them as soon as possible. Barça will reach the decisive stage of the season with this very long pre-campaign in full swing and there will come out names, transfer rumours, dirty laundry... And that could ultimately affect the players at a key moment.

THE EXTRAS If you were a club member of Barça, who would you vote for?
I am not a club member and if I was, I still wouldn't know who to vote for. There are three months left and it still remains to be seen which concrete proposals each one will bring forward.

All your possessions are at stake. Give the top-3 of the elections on 13 June.
1. Rosell
2. Godall-Soriano?
3. I don't think there's anyone else in the race.

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)

The Catalan Cave: Edu Polo (Ona FM)

in this section, we ask catalan and spanish sports journalists five questions about the elections for president of fc barcelona. today: edu polo from catalan radio station ona fm.


1. Is it possible that Ferran Soriano joins the candidacy of Alfons Godall as number two?
Yes, it is possible, either as number two or even as number one. It's still a long way to 13 June and past elections have learnt us that a lot of deals can be closed until a few days before the vote. Soriano will have a decisive role in the elections, but it's not yet clear if he will be the number one or the star number two of the Godall candidacy. I think that we will soon hear from Ferran Soriano, although what will be said now might not be definitive since there are more than three months left and a lot of things can still happen.

2. How can it be explained that Sandro Rosell, the candidate who until now has spoken the least, is leading the polls?
Because people are already talking for many years about Sandro Rosell as a future president of Barça. And because an important part of the media have done a lot for him. It is, of course taking into account the differences, a similar case as that of Florentino last year. He did not talk, but everybody talked about him. And that way he won easily. So far Sandro's case seems pretty similar, although Rosell will have more competition than Florentino had and in the next polls Godall will certainly have risen a lot. Sandro is the big favorite, but he should be careful. Bassat also was.

3. How many candidates will be on the ballot paper on 13 June?
I think there sure will be three. Rosell, the one that heads the Godall-Soriano candidacy and Benedito. I'm not that sure about Ferrer and Guixà.

4. Joan Laporta would be re-elected if he could again take part in the elections?
It is impossible to know and it depends on factors that are still uncertain, like for example Barça winning the Champions League at the Bernabéu. But it is clear that many club members would want to keep what is working and Laporta, although he has many detractors, has a lot of charisma. He could be. One should also take into account that the electoral roll has grown a lot and that there are thousands of club members without a season-ticket, mostly young people, who have never voted and nobody knows what members with that specific profile will do.

5. Do you think it will be a tough campaign, between the candidates and/or in the media?
Everything indicates that it will be a very dirty campaign. You only have to recall the case of the detectives or Sala i Martín attacking Rosell at the presentation of Godall to foresee a tough and dirty campaign.

THE EXTRAS As a club member of Barça, who will you vote for?
I am a member and I always vote. It does not seem right to answer, but I also first want to hear about the projects of the candidates. At this moment we hardly know anything, we only know that Godall wants to maintain the current model, but little more.

All your possessions are at stake. Give the top-3 of the elections on 13 June.
I stick to what I said about those who will arrive at the vote. 1 Rosell, 2 Godall-Soriano, 3 Benedito.

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)

The Catalan Cave: Miquel Pellicer (El Mundo Deportivo)

in this section, we ask catalan and spanish sports journalists five questions about the elections for president of fc barcelona. today: miquel pellicer from catalan sports paper el mundo deportivo.


1. On Monday 25 January, Alfons Godall announced that he will run for president. A man who has always been on the second row, and whom many people didn't know very well, is now giving interviews on an almost daily basis. What impression did he leave in those three first weeks in the limelight?
Alfons Godall bases his candidacy on continuing the current board project, which means that the trophies are his primary backing and that might be the strategy to follow in this campaign. However, Godall should get out of the shadow of Laporta, his 'older brother' and main defender, and get rid of a certain sense of provisionality that hangs over his campaign, given the rumours about his alliance with Ferran Soriano.

2. Rosell's decision not to speak until the formal calling of the elections is the right one?
It's obvious that the strategy of Sandro is defined by a large team of advisers and his campaign seems planned millimetre by millimetre, minute by minute. For now, the polls say he's the big favourite and both Alfons Godall and Xavier Sala Martín insist that he should come out to explain his program. It seems a paradox, but with his strategy, Rosell is getting more attention from the media. One should also take into account that Sandro is already appearing in public for a while - through events, conferences, interviews and so on - and in advertising and marketing it is said that you often communicate more by doing things than by talking.

3. Jaume Ferrer will arrive at the final vote on 13 June as the head of a candidacy?
We should keep in mind that before 13 June there is a key moment with the collection of the signatures of club members. The mergers between candidacies will lead to the fact that we will only have two or three candidates on 13 June. The diversity of brands, names and projects is only interesting for few people.

4. A few weeks ago, you interviewed Ferran Soriano. What kind of person is he?
A person who has the very big responsibility to stabilize a company like Spanair and who, no matter if he will run or not in the next elections, is very eager to explain things he did not explain when he left the club in 2008. We are all waiting to know his intentions and his next moves.

5. There is a lot of talk about the fact that the elections will be "2.0 elections". You are closely following the new technologies. To what extent and how can social networks like Facebook, Twitter and others play a decisive role in the campaign?
Over 120.000 club members of Barça are going to decide on the next president of the club. It's obvious that not all these people have Facebook or Twitter, for example, but it is a fact that all of them have children, parents, relatives, friends or acquaintances who are involved in those social networks. Therefore, these elections will serve as an example to update the electoral campaigns and strategies to be followed by political parties for the upcoming elections for mayor of Barcelona, the Catalan parliament and even the next general elections for the Spanish government.

Furthermore, I hope that the communication strategies will later be used to set up a club that is up-to-date regarding 2.0 communication so the members from all over the world can be heard wo we can have in the end a club model that is more global.

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


read the previous episodes of this series:
francisco ávila (efe)

The Catalan Cave: Francisco Avila (EFE)

in this section, we ask catalan and spanish sports journalists five questions about the elections for president of fc barcelona. today: francisco ávila from spanish news agency efe.


1. Sandro Rosell is at this moment the big favourite to be the next president of Barça without having made a lot of public statements since he left the club in June 2005. How do you explain that?
Because of the expectations created around his person. Rosell is a person with many contacts in the world of football, as he showed during the two years he served as sports vice-president and previously at Nike. Despite not making statements, he always has a lot of media presence, because of the good relationships he has with the media and that's also why, while the other candidates are appearing on stage, the team of Rosell keeps on waiting. It's a debatable strategy although it's build on a strong and well-defined communication policy.

2. If you were Ferran Soriano, what would you do?
Keep on waiting, look at the different options available and clarify the complicated situation he is facing as chairman of Spanair. I think that Soriano is the big bet of Alfons Godall to form a power duo with Xavier Sala i Martín, with whom Soriano has a great relationship. It is not to be ruled out, if this happens, that Soriano can lead this group if the right circumstances are there.

3. In recent weeks, you have interviewed Jaume Guixà and Agustí Benedito. Who of those two has left the best impression?
They are two completely different discourses. Jaume Guixà plays the card that he is the only candidate who doesn't come from the laportism, because he thinks this can give an electoral payoff. His strongest point of support is that he describes himself as "serious", but I think that everything will be decided in the debates on the models and the ideas. Personally, I think it will be difficult for him to pass the cut of the signatures, as happened in 2006.

Agustí Benedito has the advantage of knowing the club from within, without this meaning that he shares the way in which Laporta has led the club. In fact, he resigned from his post and he has been highly critical of the management by the team in charge. His main argument, as a member of the no longer existing 'Elefant Blau', is that the ideas need to be reformulated starting from that former basis. He has credibility and he could be the big surprise.

4. Xavier Sala i Martín is an asset or a liability for Alfons Godall?
Sala i Martín is a big shot in the world of finances, a renowned economist who can give some brightness to any candidacy. However, he arouses both admiration and suspicion in the Barcelona entourage, probably because he is not able to reach the average fan, since in his media appearances he is at another level. Asset or liability? It depends on the role he plays. If he participates in the debate of ideas, he'll attract votes. If he only exercises as radical critic, he will surely be a nuisance.

5. The decision to hold the election on 13 June was correct?
It is a complicated matter. It's better when the season has ended or before that? Personally, I would have chosen an earlier date, since there is no danger that it will influence the performances of the team and the pre-campaign would not have been dragging on for as long as it will now.

THE EXTRAS If you were a club member of Barça, who would you vote for?
The previous elections have always been decided at the end, I still remember how the victory of Laporta in 2003 happened, and now something similar can happen. The decision is complicated, I will wait to see how everything develops.

All your possessions are at stake. Give the top-3 of the elections on 13 June.
Rosell-Godall-Benedito.

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