Guixa: "Barça is a feeling"

Barcelona presidential candidate Jaume Guixà attended last week a live chat organized by Spanish online newspaper Diario Crítico.


Why would a man with a career and a good position want to become the president of a football club, out of vanity?
Because I am the president of a Barcelona fan club, in my town, Sant Cugat del Vallès, and I want to give Barça back to its rightful owners, the 173.800 club members.

What do you think about the management of Laporta? You recognize that in the sports area he has been flawless?
He has been flawless in the sports area, thanks to the fact that Pep Guardiola, together with his staff, has been able to isolate the players from a politicized institutional position which is contrary to what his voters in 2003 wanted.

Why should I vote for you?
Our candidacy is the only one that doesn't come from the laportism. We offer a new and renewed option.

Are you prepared to become president?
I'm ready and I have a great team of people in my candidacy to deal with situations of risk that undoubtedly will come. I can count on Emma Gamper, Joan Segarra, Mercè Morales and Jaume Sobrequés and I will soon present other specialized professionals in different sectors who will be an added value.

How do you look at the world of football, the wages aren't too high, and even more so in the current times of crisis?
We will have to analyze the costs, although it is a situation marked by the law of supply and demand.

Will you announce a star signing to attract some more votes or you won't play it that way?
The important thing about the candidacy I'm heading won't be the transfers or some fax announcing them, but the overall project. Although we really like Cesc and he wants to return to Barça. On the other hand, we are convinced of the importance of strengthening the youth academy and to avoid the exit of talented youth players.

How do you want to improve the animation in the stadium, for example through a youth area? And what do you want to do with those who have always animated Barça the most, the Boixos Nois?
All groups are welcome, when they are respecting the civic norms that are in place in a football stadium.

What do you think about the reclassification of the Miniestadi?
As I have already said publicly, I am totally opposed to the disappearance of the Miniestadi, as this should be the place where our youth players can gain experience before making the step to the first team.

Will you continue with the Foster project?
The Foster project doesn't make sense because the stadium is already considered to be a five stars facility. Yes to the modernization of the stadium (toilets, accessibility, stands, etc.), but no to the light pollution that would be caused by a project like that of Foster.

Do you think that Barça is more than a club?
Without any doubt it is, in several areas: sports, socially, artistically, regarding the fan clubs. Barça is a feeling.

this is the second and last part of the chat session. you can read the first part here.

Read more:
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Three 'Dream Team' players in candidacy Guixa
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Guixa: "Matches should be played at 3 or 5 pm"

Barcelona presidential candidate Jaume Guixà attended last week a live chat organized by Spanish online newspaper Diario Crítico.


Laporta dealt in a very good way with the radical fans, even at the risk of his own life. We must recognize that and it is to be assumed that you will keep them away from the stadium. But until recently, presidents, including those of Barça, pampered them. What do you think of this shameful support?
As Barcelona fan and president of a fan club, I think that the passion for our club, which is Barça, should be above everything and people should comply with the law, so those who are not doing that should be marginalized. People who are going go to a football game should have fun and not worry about their safety.

Is there envy - healthy or unhealthy - towards Barça in Spain? What will you do to fix it, if something can be done?
I don't think there's envy. I think that Barca is a mirror in which all clubs would want to see themselves reflected, both because of the quality of the technical staff as because of the attitude of the players.

Do you have any ideas to improve the quality of the league? The fans need to have more competition, it shouldn't just be Madrid vs Barça. And things shouldn't be dominated that much by the television channels.
I totally agree with you regarding the two questions. The Spanish league should generate the same uncertainty of the Bundesliga or the Ligue 1, where the champion is not known until the end of the season. Among other things, one problem is that many Spanish teams are in debt and unable to pay for better players, while others - like Madrid - are breaking the market with galactic signings. As for the televisions, we will have to take care of the fact that the fans should be able to come to the stadium, so the matches should be played at 3 or 5 pm, and only occasionally at 10 pm, not like now when it's just the opposite.

Do you think that you have a chance against Sandro Rosell?
I present myself as the alternative to the laportism, since all the other candidates have been linked to Laporta or the 'Elefant Blau' at some point. Starting from that, we all will have to present a project and it will be the club member who, with his vote, will decide.

What transfer policy will you follow if you will be elected as president?
As I have publicly stated, we are in full season, playing for the league and the Champions League, and to not hinder the technical staff or the players' squad, I will not comment on this issue until the end of season.

Will you de-politicize the club if you become president?
We must make a difference between the citizen Joan Laporta and the president of FC Barcelona, who has to represent all club members with their different ideologies. The club cannot and should not be politicized.

What is best thing Laporta has done? And the worst thing?
The best was his courageous decision to promote a fourth-division coach without experience to the first team. The worst are many issues, but I would highlight his constant non-compliances from the time when he led the 'Elefant Blau' platform until today.

Would you want to have friendly relations with Real Madrid or the 'gigantism' of Florentino is an obstruction to that?
Barça, which is a universal and inclusive club that is competing in the Spanish League, should represent their members and fans in a dignified manner when dealing with a sporting rival no matter who that is, Real Madrid or Espanyol.

Don't you think that the importance of football in the news reports and the huge amounts of money spent by the clubs, who in general have a lot of debts, are excessive?
I do not think the media coverage is excessive, because the role of football in today's society is very important. But I do think there's too much money spent by the clubs and I am especially sensitive and deeply concerned about the economic situation of my club, Barça. I honestly do not see it clearly. I want to know the situation in detail and to propose a solution. In the candidacy I'm heading, we are working very hard to be able to solve things.

this is the first part of the chat session. you can read the second part here.

Read more:
Guixa: "Barça can sign any player"
Three 'Dream Team' players in candidacy Guixa
Guixa gets support of Spiderman