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"

Benedito says others have political and media links

Speaking to Spanish news agency EFE, Barcelona presidential candidate Agustí Benedito has criticized the links other candidates have with political parties and says that he is the only candidate who guarantees political, economic and media independence:

"It's clear that CiU [centre-right wing catalan nationalists] has its candidate: they are supporting or can easily be linked to the candidacy of Sandro Rosell, while it's even more clear that the entourage of PSC [left wing party] or the top people of PSC have in some way ties with the candidacy of Marc Ingla.

It's very clear that there's a political game going on in the background while we should above anything try to maintain the independence of Barça, not only politically but also economically and as far as the media are concerned because both main media groups of this city are also lining up with one of those two candidacies."

Read more:
Benedito: "Our secret weapon are the people"
The Pic: The bus of Benedito
Benedito could limit number of club members

Ferrer and Ingla met last weekend

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona presidential candidates Jaume Ferrer and Marc Ingla met last weekend in the Bonasport sports centre in Barcelona to discuss a possible deal ahead of the elections on Sunday 13 June.

Although they could again meet, an agreement between the two would at this point be unlikely since both Ingla and Ferrer would only want to form one joint candidacy if they can lead it themselves. Ingla would also only want to include two or three people of the group of Ferrer in his candidacy. Some members of the two candidacies would also be against a pact.

Spanish news agency EFE claims that the appearance on stage of the candidacy of former Barcelona marketing and sports vice-president Marc Ingla has been a big moral blow for the team of Barcelona assets vice-president Jaume Ferrer and that both candidacies could meet again although a united candidacy would not be possible at this moment.

Read more:
Ingla: "Barça should be reference of 21st century"
Ferrer gets new support from board members
Godall doesn't believe in Ferrer-Rosell duel

When will Rosell, Ferrer, Ingla and Salvat appear?

Barcelona presidential candidates Santiago Salvat, Jaume Ferrer and Marc Ingla are expected to present their projects in the coming days. Sandro Rosell would wait some more.


Salvat
Catalan businessman Santiago Salvat [picture] will present his candidacy tomorrow at 1 pm at the Olympic and Sports Museum in Barcelona.

Ferrer
Barcelona assets vice-president Jaume Ferrer will on Wednesday present his website, his campaign seat and his first slogan.

Ingla
Former Barcelona marketing and sports vice-president Marc Ingla will present his project and his campaign in the middle of next week.

Rosell
Former Barcelona sports vice-president Sandro Rosell had planned to present his project at his campaign seat on Wednesday 12 May in case Barcelona would have qualified for the Champions league final. The presentation could now be postponed until after the last league game.

Read more:
Salvat presents basic ideas of election program
Ingla preparing his election campaign
Plaza wants shirt sponsor and internet voting

sources: sport, efe, mundo deportivo

Castells denies talks with Ferrer and Ingla

Asked about the rumours that he has been holding talks with Barcelona presidential candidate Jaume Ferrer and possible candidate Marc Ingla (read more here), former Barcelona vice-president Joan Castells has explicitly denied the contacts in an interview with Spanish news agency EFE:

"It's absolutely false that I have been talking with them. If they want to know something about me, they know where they can find me. I'm open for talks with whoever wants that. Later, I will analyze everything. Setting up a candidacy myself? That's difficult now."

EFE claims that Castells has been talking with other club members who want to take part in the elections, while at the same time thinking about leading an own candidacy. After weeks of reflection, he would now have excluded the latter.

Read more:
Former director Castells considering election role
Joan Castells unlikely candidate
Former vice-presidents Ingla and Castells talking

Ingla preparing his election campaign

Spanish news agency EFE claims that former Barcelona marketing and sports vice-president Marc Ingla has given a new impulse to his candidacy for the presidency for FC Barcelona during a dinner with members of his team on Thursday evening (read more here).

Ingla would at this moment be finalizing his board team, his campaign program and his logos. Although the exact date hasn't yet been chosen, the ex-director would soon publicly announce that he will run for president.

A source close to Ingla is quoted by the news agency as saying: "When he will make the step forward, the whole campaign machine will be up and running and with options to win the elections. It will be a winning bid."

Ingla would now also be holding talks with prominent people of the Catalan society and in the world of politics and economy to present them his project and to hear about their opinion on his plans.

Former Barcelona economic vice-president Ferran Soriano would for now be supporting Ingla in the background although it is reportedly not totally excluded that he could get a more important role in the future.

Read more:
Ingla has decided to run for president
Soriano will support candidacy Ingla
Poll result: Soriano should have run?

Santiago Salvat is Minguella-Medina candidate

Catalan sports paper sport RAC 1 claims that Santiago "Yago" Salvat will run for president of FC Barcelona in the upcoming elections. The news has meanwhile been confirmed by other media.

Salvat would head the list of the project that has been set up by former presidential candidates Josep Maria Minguella and Jordi Medina (read more here), who have both agreed with the appointment of Salvat as candidate.

A source of the candidacy told Spanish news agency EFE: "A few months ago we got to know each other and in the end he is very motivated and willing to do this. We will all give him our support and he will be presented to the public after the game against Inter next week."

Santiago Salvat, who is 38 years old and a club member for around 25 years and whose family founded in the 19th century the Salvat Editores publishing house in Barcelona, has several business activities, mostly related to marketing and consultancy.

Salvat is managing partner and marketing and financial director of pr and communication agency Pendulum, partner and member of the board of real estate consultant Bruch and owner and general manager of marketing agency Excelsior. Since this month, he is also a member of the board of directors of portfolio management company Interlaken.

Read more:
Minguella-Medina project has found candidate
Lawyer offered to lead Minguella-Medina project
Catalan journalist rejects offer to run for president

Rexach could join Minguella-Medina candidacy

Spanish news agency EFE claims that former Barcelona presidential candidates Josep Maria Minguella [picture, on the right] and Jordi Medina [picture, on the left] will in the coming days present their joint candidacy for the presidency of FC Barcelona. Both would have confirmed this to the news agency.

On Wednesday, the electoral council of the candidacy would meet to establish the calendar to follow in the coming weeks, with one of the main events being the presentation of the person who will in the end lead the candidacy.

The candidate of the project would be a 39-year old businessman from the communication sector, who has studied in the United States and who has family ties with a former board member of the club. The candidacy would appear in public in the coming week.

Sources of the Minguella-Medina project also told the news agency that former Barcelona player and coach Carles Rexach, who was considering to head a list himself (read more here), could in the end join this candidacy.

Read more:
Minguella-Medina project has found candidate
Rexach will next week decide on candidacy
Molins rejects offer to lead Minguella-Medina project

Businesswoman could become treasurer Rosell

Spanish news agency EFE claims that Spanish businesswoman Susana Monje [picture] could be a member of the board team of Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell. Monje would become the club's treasurer if Rosell is elected as president in June.

Last Sunday, Susana Monje assisted a meeting that Rosell had with Barcelona club members and fan club members in the Spanish autonomous community of Asturias in the north of Spain, where the Monje is family is coming from and where the former Barcelona sports vice-president presented the project of his candidacy.

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:
Rosell wants three women in his board
First female president for Barcelona?
The Rosell Project - Part 4: The Board (2)

Rosell to come out in second half of April

Spanish sports agency EFE claims that Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell will officially present his candidacy in the beginning of the second half of the month of April (read more here).

Rosell, who reportedly has regular private contacts with the press, would have initially planned to hold the first public meeting immediately after the official calling of the elections but would now have brought the presentation forward.

The former sports vice-president would already have made a decision on his headquarters, that will be inaugurated soon, and would have a campaign budget of between 700.000 and 800.000 euros.

Read more:
Rosell could present project year after goal Iniesta
Rosell will have board of 17 or 18 directors
Rosell planning to reform club statutes

Soriano to make a decision before Friday

Spanish news agency EFE claims that former Barcelona economic vice-president Ferran Soriano will decide before Friday if he will take part in the campaign ahead of the elections for president of FC Barcelona in June.

A source close to Soriano would have told the news agency that Soriano wants to announce his decision at next meeting of the board of directors of Spanish airline Spanair, of which he is the chairman, on Friday.

Soriano would think that his position at Spanair is compatible with that of president of FC Barcelona and that the latest events in the Barcelona board could be in favour of a joint candidacy with Barcelona first vice-president Alfons Godall, but the former vice-president on the other hand doesn't want to put in danger his relationship with the shareholders of his company.

A few directors of Spanair would be against a candidacy of Soriano, although one of them is reportedly Jordi Mestre, who could be part of the board team of presidential candidate Sandro Rosell (read more here).

Read more:
Spanair board divided on Soriano candidacy
Ferrer becomes official continuity candidate
Soriano to announce candidacy next month

Ferrer becomes official continuity candidate

Yesterday evening at 7 pm, Barcelona president Joan Laporta organized an emergency board meeting at the offices of his law firm in Barcelona. The point of discussion were the results of polls carried out by the candidadcy of Barcelona first vice-president Alfons Godall and by the club.

The polls showed that it would be difficult for Godall to win the elections on his own, that Barcelona economic vice-president Ferran Soriano was doing better than him and that a joint candidacy of Godall and Soriano, led by the second, would win the elections in June. After been informed about the results, Godall told Laporta during the weekend that he didn't want to continue as candidate.

Godall yesterday repeated that he would not lead a candidacy that would not be supported by Soriano and that he would accept Soriano to head the project, something that was opposed to by Laporta and Barcelona assets vice-president Jaume Ferrer. The president, who also would not have been happy with the way of campaigning of Godall over the last weeks, withdrew his support for Godall.

Laporta, who did not want to support Soriano leading a candidacy with Godall, then proposed to Barcelona treasurer Xavier Sala i Martín to run for president. After Sala i Martín rejected the offer, as did Barcelona economic vice-president Joan Boix, Laporta decided to give his support to Ferrer, who wants to continue with an own candidacy without making a deal with Soriano.

Laporta after the meeting personally called with the board members who could not be present, among which vice-president Albert Perrín and directors Magda Oranich and Patrick Auset, to explain them what had been discussed and decided. Almost all directors would now support Ferrer.

sources: rac 1, sport, efe, el mundo deportivo, el 9 esportiu, la vanguardia

Spanair board divided on Soriano candidacy

Spanish news agency EFE claims that the board of directors of Spanish airline Spanair is divided on a possible participation of Spanair chairman and former Barcelona economic vice-president Ferran Soriano in the elections for president of FC Barcelona later this year.

In general lines, Soriano would have the support of the institutional shareholders, some of whom would also want to have the company's name on the Barcelona shirt, while the private shareholders think the candidacy wouldn't be a good idea. One of the strongest opponents is said be former Barcelona president Joan Gaspart, the chairman of hotel group Husa.

On Friday 26 March, the next board meeting of Spanair is planned. Soriano doesn't need to have the approval of the board to run for president but a certain consensus would be desirable. Sources close to the shareholders would have said that there's a growing support for the candidacy of Soriano, who could combine the two position if he's elected.

According to some directors, the presidency of Soriano could also benefit Spanair because of the airline being linked with a brand known around the world. Those in favour of the candidacy would prefer Soriano to start with an own candidacy, which could then later be joined by - among others - the team of current Barcelona first vice-president Alfons Godall, who would be open for this option.

Read more:
Soriano to announce candidacy next month
Polls could lead to electoral pacts
Soriano preparing candidacy

The Quote: Jaume Ferrer

"We all know Xavier Sala, both here and in America, and we know he talks too much which makes that many times he's hard to believe."


Jaume Ferrer,
Barcelona assets vice-president and presidential candidate

read more election quotes here

Minguella-Medina project still looking for a leader

Although all media sources agree that Catalan lawyer Pau Molins [picture] has been offered to head the candidacy that is being set up by former Barcelona presidential candidates Josep Maria Minguella and Jordi Medina (read more here), there is uncertainty about his reaction to the proposal.

Spanish news agency Europa Press claims that sources close to Molins confirmed that the lawyer, who feels "very related to the club", is thinking about the offer and that he wants to take the time necessary to make the decision, which could be more than one week.

Catalan newspaper El Periódico claims that Molins, who would be very interested in the proposal, will decide in one or two weeks time. The offer would have been made to him last week during a meeting with Minguella and a group of club members.

Catalan news site E-notícies claims that Minguella, Medina and Molins had a dinner on Thursday 19 February. The answer would be expected for next week. If Molins accepts the offer, Minguella would become the sports vice-president of the list and Medina the social vice-president.

A source close to the Minguella-Medina project confirmed yesterday evening to this blog that there has indeed been an offer but that Molins didn't yet give a final answer. We were also told that, contrary to previous news reports (read more here), Catalan businessman Jordi Roche, the former president of the Catalan football federation, would not be part of this project.

Spanish news agency EFE claims that it looks like the deal with Molins won't go through - despite a source of the project being quoted as saying that the lawyer would be "a very valid" candidate - because Molins wouldn't be able to combine the campaign with his job. His defense of Catalan business man Fèlix Millet in a major corruption scandal (read more here) could also play a role: "That wouldn't be positive publicity in case he would be our candidate."

The group would now keep on working to find a candidate and announce a name in the next two to three weeks, with the source explaining: "The offer to Molins doesn't mean that we already have a clear idea, because we still have to assess a lot of things, not only about the candidate but also about the rest of the team.

I want to make clear that we are not selling the leadership of our group by auction. We are just talking with a lot of people and, for whatever reason, the names of two [the other being that of catalan journalist xavier bosch] of the many members we have considered have been leaked to the public."

Catalan sports paper El 9 Esportiu claims that Molins already rejected the offer to lead the candidacy because of professional reasons – the Millet case and the opening of a new office in Madrid - but that he did accept to be part of the list. The group would continue to search for a prestigious consensus figure to become the candidate.

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Molins has already rejected the offer and that Medina and Minguella continue to look for a candidate that has never before been directly involved in an election process, although it's not excluded that one of the two would in the end be the candidate. The final list should be ready in April.

Medina is quoted by the paper as saying: "We want to assemble a project that could be a third way between laportas and anti-laportistas and that unites the Barcelona fans. That's why the choice of the candidate isn't a fight and won't turn into an auction. We're not in a hurry, there's a lot of pre-campaign and campaign left and we don't want to take part in the battles."

Read more:
Lawyer offered to lead Minguella-Medina project
Catalan journalist rejects offer to run for president
Medina will again take part in the elections

Soriano could lead united board candidacy

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that former Barcelona economic vice-president Ferran Soriano will take part in the elections for president of FC Barcelona.

Soriano would lead an own candidacy and the decision would be officially announced in two or three weeks.

First, Soriano wants to personally inform all the members of the board of directors of Spanish airline Spanair, of which he is the chairman, about his decision. The directors of Spanair wouldn't have problems with the candidacy and a possible presidency of Soriano.

Soriano's right-hand man during the campaign would be former Barcelona vice-president Marc Ingla, who left the club together with Soriano in 2008. Catalan sports paper El 9 Esportiu claims that Ingla has been preparing the candidacy of Soriano.

Spanish news agency EFE claims that Soriano didn't yet make a decision but that he has been in contact with current Barcelona board members, among which presidential candidates Alfons Godall and Jaume Ferrer. None of the meetings would nevertheless already have led to a deal.

Sources of the entourage of Soriano would have told that the best option could be a united candidacy with the current board members and both Ferrer and Godall would be open for this option, that would also be supported current Barcelona president Joan Laporta. El 9 Esportiu claims that Soriano and Laporta could meet soon to solve their differences.

EFE says that it's so far unclear who should lead the candidacy but an agreement could be reached by the end of March or the beginning of April. Spanish news site El Confidencial suggests that Soriano would head the list because Godall would in the end prefer a role in the shadow.

Read more:
Soriano to announce decision in coming weeks
Ferrer: "Sala started the division in the board"
Soriano repeats wish to play role in elections

Project Minguella to be announced next month

Asked about his role in the upcoming elections, former presidential candiate Josep Maria Minguella has repeated in an interview with Spanish news agency EFE that he is working on a candidacy together with a large group of Barcelona fans:

"We're working on a project and it's very possible it will lead to a concrete candidacy that could be announced in one month.

Our group of around 50 people mostly consists of liberal professionals and includes important people of the city of Barcelona. This group has been meeting for some time, but I cannot give you any names.

Our ideology will be totally different to that of most other projects. The starting point is that it's not good for Barça that the future would be decided between the 'pro-laportistas' and the 'anti-laportistas', because there are other options.

In principle I won't be the head of the candidacy. That person will be chosen by the group through primaries. Why wouldn't I lead the project myself? Well, I lived the experience already and I can tell you that the world of football is a nest of jealousy.

For many years, I dedicated myself to this job - that of player's agent - of which I am very proud. But there are people who give more credit to the belief, which is not true, that I've made money from Barça than to the fact that I have brought Maradona, Stoichkov, Romario, Rivaldo and Messi to Barça, the last one for free. But people don't value it, so what can I do..."

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.

Read more:
Minguella confirms talks with Medina and Majo
Minguella: "Laporta didn't keep his promises"
Majo stepping out of Minguella-Medina project

Godall and Ferrer no longer part of 'core board'

Catalan newspaper El Periódico claims that Barcelona president Joan Laporta has excluded Barcelona vice-presidents Alfons Godall, Jaume Ferrer and, possibly, Albert Perrín, from taking part in the meetings of the Delegate Commission, the club organ that meets almost weekly and takes the majority of the key decisions.

Since the election date was announced at the end of January, the Delegate Commission hadn't been organized because of the tensions inside the club ahead of the elections. Laporta has now reportedly decided that, starting today, the meetings will again take place but that the number of people allowed to assist the meetings will be reduced.

Spanish news agency EFE confirms that Godall, Ferrer and Perrín are no longer part of the Delegate Commission. Club sources explained that Laporta has taken the decision to avoid possible misunderstandings as a result of the fact that the two presidential candidates would keep on playing an active role in the highest executive body of the club.

EFE claims that the decision has caused some unrest in the board, especially amongst the directors close to presidential candidate Ferrer, with one of the affected people telling the agency: "The measure is only taken because Laporta no longer wants to have Ferrer by his side and that is why he has decided to throw him out of the meeting.

He has put Godall in the same 'pack' to give an sense of logic to the decision, but it's just an electoral move to try to limit the possibilities of Ferrer and to benefit Godall. This is just another inconsistency of Laporta. Why don't they just throw us out of the board? This maneuver doesn't make sense apart from the intention of Laporta to eliminate Ferrer."

The Delegate Commission would from now on consist of six people: president Joan Laporta, economic vice-president Joan Boix, sports vice-president Rafael Yuste, treasurer Xavier Sala i Martín, board secretary Josep Cubells and chief executive Joan Oliver.


Article 34 of the statutes of FC Barcelona deals with the Delegate Commission and reads as follows: "Within the Board of Directors, a Delegate Commission may be constituted containing a maximum of two thirds of the members of the Board of Directors, which will be made up of members designated by the President and which must necessarily include the President, a Vice President, the Secretary and the Treasurer.

The Delegate Commission will meet at the behest of the President as many times as necessary and will have the following functions:

a) To study and prepare the items that are to be subjected to the Board of Directors.
b) To provisionally adopt any decision that is the competence of the Board of Directors, when for reasons of urgency it is not possible to wait until the next meeting to be called, under the obligation that the Board will be informed of this at the immediately following session and its ratification will be obtained.
c) To make decisions regarding any matters that have been expressly delegated to it by the board of Directors and to inform about these at the next meeting of the same."

Read more:
Ferrer: "Sala started the division in the board"
Godall: "We believe in the North-American market"
Former vice-president Franquesa to support Ferrer

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.

Three 'Dream Team' players in candidacy Guixa

Barcelona presidential candidate Jaume Guixà has said in an interview with Spanish news agency EFE that three footballers that have played at Barcelona during the period Johan Cruyff coached the team will be part of his candidacy and will replace Txiki Begiristain as sports director:

"My sports model is of course based on keeping Guardiola. Besides, we will count on a team of three sports directors and all three of those executives have been part of the Dream Team. I cannot yet reveal the name of those people, but I can tell that one of them will be reponsible for the first team, the second for the youth teams and the third for Barcelona Atlètic.

I also think that we should try for Barcelona Atlètic to promote to the second division and that's another reason why our candidacy is in favour of keeping the Miniestadi. This would give the players the opportunity to make their debut there, which is a good step for every youth player on their way to the Camp Nou."

Read more:
Guixa wants three sports directors
Son "Great Captain" Segarra in board team Guixa
Guixa won't make transfer promises