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

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

Ferrer: "You have to consider where the club was"

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

translation: archie valparaiso

Yours is a candidacy that "continues the legacy", but are you planning on changing anything?
There's always room for improvement, particularly in the sports area. In the financial area, we need to generate more income to invest in the sports and assets project, particularly in the membership area, to make life more comfortable for the members. We need to improve access to the stadium and renovate it. We also need to have more instruments in place to make relations with members more streamlined and direct - by offering them help with travel, for example.

Do you consider David Villa's signing to be yours?
It belongs to FC Barcelona, but it's true that it's been sorted while we have been on the board of directors.

Has doing it that way been a strategy?
It's been done that way because it was possible to do it that way. In the past, most signings have taken place as soon as the competitions have finished.

Do you know what kind of contract you'd offer Guardiola yet?
Yes.

Will it be a long one or a short one?
We'll talk it over with him on the 14th of June, but I'm not very much in favour of long contracts. The idea is not to change anything in the sports area, and for him, Txiki [Begiristain] and [José Ramón] Alexanko to continue

Will you be able to convince Txiki?
After our latest conversations with him, I'm convinced that we will, yes.

Does Pep Guardiola deserve a rise?
His salary should be realistic.

Are you happy to be associated with "Laportism"?
I don't like "isms" of any kind. Over the last seven years some great things were achieved, and the chairman was Joan Laporta. And we were the ones who were there. The club has been very well managed and that must continue. The less that's messed about with, the better.

What kind of relationship do you have with the chairman?
We've had our ups and downs, but we get along fine now.

Do you feel comfortable having his support?
Yes, and I'm very grateful to him, because we've shared seven years of hard work. The results are very positive. We've made some mistakes that we've learned a lot from and we hope won't be repeated. The complete change in Barça between 2003 and 2010 is what we've achieved together.

Does having Laporta's support give you an advantage?
I don't know. It's more a plus than a setback, but what counts is that we've made it to the end still together despite having disagreed on occasion.

Have you got a managing director in mind if you win?
That's something to be discussed after the first of July. Joan Oliver and I have had some incidents that weren't very pleasant, but he's doing a good job.

Don't you think the members would like to know whether Oliver is going to continue or not?
The club's executives have functioned very well, because we've risen from thirteenth in the world, with income of 120 million, to the very top, with over 400 million. If Oliver earns my confidence, he'll continue, but it's not an issue that I'm overly worried about.

Why didn't you resign over the spying affair?
Because I was a member of the board. It's other people who should have resigned. I'm only too aware of our responsibility to the members. At that time, we were in the [Spanish] Cup Final, about to win La Liga and in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Our role is to help to keep the institution stable and I think that my decision was the right one, because we did go on to win all three trophies.

Do you include the chairman among those who should have resigned?
I'm not including anyone. That's not for me to do.

Who do you mean then?
Those who might have been involved.

Do you think Laporta knew all about it?
No. He told me he knew nothing about it, and if he says he didn't know, then he didn't know.

What mistakes has the chairman made?
I'm sure he's made some. You have to bear in mind that as chairman you're under pressure from everyone around you, a non-stop pressure that you have to be able to deal with. And Laporta has. He's been able to hold steady and make decisions, most of which have been the right ones.

Have you ever felt embarrassed by anything that Laporta has done?
What I've felt is great pleasure for the six trophies last year, over 65 trophies in all during over our term of office, the basketball Euroliga, the handball and hockey cups, how much we've grown, the international recognition... I feel very proud of Barça because of all that. I'm not concerned about anything other than that. I'm sure there are some things that could have been done differently or perhaps better, but you have to consider where the club was in 2003, where it is today and what its image is all over the world now.

Will you maintain the Foster [new Camp Nou] project?
It must stick to the improvements that we want, above all to cover all the stands and put in more lifts. It needs to be a competitive stadium to generate more income, like in the England or Germany. We want the refurbishment of the stadium not to be too extravagant but done with common sense. We can't spend 340 million euros or even half that. If Foster can do it, then that's perfect.

this was the first part of this interview. you will be able to read the second part on this blog in the coming days.

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

Rosell considers Koeman as sports director

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that former Barcelona player Ronald Koeman (47) could replace Txiki Begiristain as sports director of Barcelona if Sandro Rosell would be elected as president on Sunday 13 June.

Although no final decision has yet been made, people of the candidacy of Rosell would have been talking with Koeman, who hasn't been active as coach since he was dismissed last December by Dutch club AZ and who now regularly works as television pundit for the Dutch television.

Ronald Koeman played six seasons for Barcelona, arriving in 1989 from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven and leaving in the summer of 1995 for Dutch club Feyenoord Rotterdam. From the summer of 1998 until the year 2000, he was the assistant coach of Barcelona manager Louis van Gaal.

With Barcelona, Koeman won four consecutive Spanish league titles from 1991 to 1994, a Spanish cup in 1990, three Spanish Super Cups in 1991, 1992 and 1994, one Champions Leauge in 1992 and one European Super Cup in 1992. As assistant, he won one league title in 1999.

Read more:
Zubizarreta main option to replace Begiristain
Txiki: "My future will depend on new president"
Former player Amor supports candidacy Rosell

Cartoon 39: Rosell overpowers opponents

* Rosell shows his electoral muscles

13.618 signatures *

(click the cartoon to enlarge)


by kap

source:
el mundo deportivo

check more election cartoons here

Benedito, Salvat, Guixa and Plaza struggling with signatures

The three main Catalan sports papers agree today that Barcelona presidential candidates Sandro Rosell, Jaume Ferrer and Marc Ingla will certainly pass the cut of the 2.095 signatures that should be delivered tomorrow. Rosell would clearly present the most signatures.

From the other four candidates, Benedito would be the closest to pass the cut although it would be close. The three remaining candidates - Santiago Salvat, Jaume Guixà and Alexis Plaza - would almost certainly not obtain the signatures needed and would have to leave the race.

Read more:
The process of collecting the signatures
How many people will be able to vote?
The electoral proceedings

Former player Amor supports candidacy Rosell

In his weekly column in Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo, former Barcelona player Guillermo Amor (42), who has been the head of Barcelona's youth academy from 2003 to 2007 and who is now acting as television pundit, has given his support to Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell:

"You, Sandro, have been preparing this for a long time, working in silence, respecting everyone, and that's what you keep doing. Elections are won with ideas, projects. You, Sandro, I think that you're there for the people, that you're there for all. I like you because you want to unite the fans. You want a plural club, a club of everyone.

I like you because I've seen you in action, for your ability to make decisions, for how you address problems and solve them. You use heart and head. You have credibility because you have won it and there are many members who are with you and who don't get carried away by anything or anyone. I respect all candidates, of course, but I think your time has come."

Read more:
Ex-players Amor and Migueli linked with Rosell
Salvat talking with ex-players Stoichkov and Ferrer
Zubizarreta main option to replace Begiristain

Several top players offered to candidates

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that several players have in the past days and weeks been offered to Barcelona presidential candidates and to directors who are still part of the board, while candidates on the other hand are also sounding out players.

The players who are being linked with a possible move to Barcelona this summer are: Fernando Torres (Liverpool), Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal), Carlos Tevez (Manchester City), Javier Mascherano (Liverpool), Alexandre Pato (AC Milan) and Sergio Agüero (Atlético Madrid).

Read more:
Torres not willing to negotiate with candidates
Candidates are trying to interfere in transfer talks
Rosell linked with Valencia winger Mata

Plaza rejects offer to sell signatures

Speaking to Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo (and repeating it later in an interview with Catalan sports paper El 9 Esportiu), Barcelona presidential candidate Alexis Plaza has said that he has received offers to sell the signatures of club members he has already collected:

"Have they tried to buy my signatures? Oh yes! I can not say who because the person did not identify himself but they have called us and because they think we are new or young, they proposed us to withdraw not to make a fool of ourselves and they asked to put a price on our signatures. But we will fight until the end. I guess some people are very desperate."

Read more:
Plaza: "Young people are tired of fake promises"
The process of collecting the signatures
Plaza considers Alexanko as sports director

Former vice-president changes Rosell for Ingla

Former Barcelona vice-president Jesús Farga [picture, on the centre left] has yesterday given his signature of support to Barcelona presidential candidate Marc Ingla. Farga had before been linked to the candidacy of Sandro Rosell after he assisted several meeting of the Senior Council of Rosell (read more here).

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Farga, who has been a Barcelona board member involved with the youth academy under presidents Josep Lluís Núñez and Joan Gaspart, will in the candidacy of Ingla get a more important role in the youth policy than he would have gotten in that of Rosell.

Read more:
Ingla wants to appoint club ambassadors
Torres not willing to negotiate with candidates
Ingla talking with son of former vice-president

Rosell has already enough signatures

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell was yesterday the only candidate who has already collected the 2.095 signatures of club members needed to take part in the elections for president of FC Barcelona on Sunday 13 June.

Former Barcelona vice-presidents Jaume Ferrer and Marc Ingla would be on their way to pass the number, while Agustí Benedito, Santiago Salvat, Jaume Guixà and Alexis Plaza would have difficulties to reach the necesary signatures of support the candidates should present on Tuesday 29 May.

Read more:
The process of collecting the signatures
"Sandro Rosell" not on support slips
The electoral proceedings

Zubizarreta main option to replace Begiristain

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that former Barcelona goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta is at this moment the main candidate to replace Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain, who would leave the club in June. At least three candidates would think that Zubizarreta is a good candidate for the job.

Andoni Zubizarreta was a Barcelona player from 1986, when he arrived from Athletic Bilbao, until 1994, when he left for Valencia. With Barcelona, the 48-year old won four consecutive Spanish leagues from 1991 to 1994, two Spanish cups in 1988 and 1990, two Spanish supercups in 1991 and 1992, one Champions league 1992, one Cup winner's cup in 1989 and one European supercup in 1992.

Since his retirement as an active player, Zubizarreta, who reportedly has a close relationship with Guardiola, has been acting as radio and television pundit. From 2001 to 2004, he was the sports director of Athletic Bilbao.

Zubizarreta was also, together with - among others - Real Madrid general director Jorge Valdano, one of the founders of makeateam, a company that focuses on human resources training and consulting, of which he is currently still the vice-president.

Read more:
Begiristain proposes Zubizarreta as his successor
Ex-players Amor and Migueli linked with Rosell
Zubizarreta: "No candidate has contacted me"

[video] Benedito uses Al Pacino to motivate team

Barcelona presidential candidate Agustí Benedito is reportedly using a speech by Al Pacino from the movie "Any Given Sunday" (1999) to motivate his campaign team ahead of the presidential elections on Sunday 13 June.

Former president Nunez will support Rosell

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that former Barcelona president Josep Lluís Núñez supports the candidacy of Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell.

Núnez, who has been silent on club matters since he left as president ten years ago, would yesterday have decided to make that support public, although the way in which that will happen is not yet clear.

Josep Lluís Núñez is a 78-year old Catalan businessman from the construction and the hotel sector. He was elected as president of FC Barcelona in 1978. Núñez was five times re-elected before resigning from his post in 2000.

Read more:
Nunez takes distance from candidate
Poll result: Best Barcelona president ever?
Former president Nunez to run with support Cruyff

Benedito accuses paper of burying poll

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claimed yesterday that Barcelona presidential candidate Agustí Benedito had ordered a university poll regarding the upcoming presidential elections that was carried out on Sunday in the surroundings of the Camp Nou.

Of the 1.200 people polled, 54% reportedly didn't yet make their choice about who they will choose for on 13 June. Half of those who already decided, said they would vote for Rosell, 24% for Ferrer and 15% for Ingla. Benedito got 11% of the votes, while Guixà got 1% and Salvat and Plaza were not included.

Benedito confirmed yesterday on a press conference that they indeed had that poll but explained later on Facebook – while linking to the article in El Mundo Deportivo - that it was in fact Catalan sports paper Sport that had asked for the poll but later didn't want to make it public and instead reported on another poll (read more here):

"This is the poll that Sport had ordered with the Ramon Llull university but that they then decided not to publish. They have the right to publish what they want just as I can tell this, right? In this one we have 11%, while in the one they published we have 1,4%. Now I tell you…"

Read more:
Benedito: "Transfer of Villa won't influence vote"
Poll result: Who would you vote for?
The collection of the signatures has started

Sala i Martin to leave the club in July

Speaking to Catalan radio station RAC 1, Barcelona treasurer Xavier Sala i Martín has said he will most likely leave the club at the end of the current term: "The most probable thing is that I won't be part of any candidacy, that is at least the plan at this moment. So I will go home on 30 June. I will keep on doing the same things I'm doing now, except for Barça."

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Sala i Martín has received offers from the candidacies of Barcelona assets vice-president Jaume Ferrer and former Barcelona marketing and sports vice-president Marc Ingla but that he has decided to stay out of the electoral race and to leave together with Barcelona president Joan Laporta.

Read more:
Sala i Martin considering his position
Ferrer gets new support from board members
Sala i Martin to stay on until end of term

Rosell wants Guardiola for six more years

Asked about the future of Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola, Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell has said in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that he would want Guardiola to stay for the full length of his mandate:

"If I'm elected as president, I would like to sign Guardiola for many years because the stability regarding the coach also gives stability to the club, as well as economic stability. Because a new coach always asks to sign several players and wants some others out which has a negative effect on the finances of the club.

I would like it a lot if he would be in charge for the next six years and that will in fact be the first thing that we will propose to him. Starting from there, you will need to sit down and talk since you should know how the other party sees it, what his demands are and how motivated he is to start a period of six years. But whatever the outcome is, I don't have any doubt we will reach very quickly a deal with Pep."

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo had earlier said that Rosell would offer Guardiola a contract for the total period of the president's term in office, that would bind Barcelona for six years but that would give Guardiola the chance to renew his stay at the club year by year.

Read more:
The program of Sandro Rosell
Guardiola will sign renewal after elections
Rosell leading in university poll

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

Rosell adds dentist to board team

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Catalan dental entrepreneur Joan Bladé is part of the board team of Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell that will be presented on Tuesday.

Last Wednesday, Bladé already represented the candidacy of Rosell at a concert organized by an association of Barcelona fans with mobility problems.

Joan Bladé, who has been a member of the social commission of FC Barcelona during the first years of the presidency of Joan Laporta, is the founder of the Doctor Bladé group that has four dental clinics in and around the city of Barcelona.

Read more:
Rosell adds former Saviola advisor to board team
Surgeon Miquel Llobet part of Salvat candidacy
Rosell adding eco businessman to board team

Salvat talking with fan groups

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona presidential candidate Santiago Salvat contacted Barcelona platform 'Tots Som Barça' last Tuesday. Barcelona news site Eleccions FCB claimed that the platform will support Salvat, who would also have met with other groups of club members.

When this blog asked about the rumoured support to Salvat, 'Tots Som Barça' denied having reached a deal with a candidate: "Tots Som Barça, as a group whose objective is to work in the benefit of FC Barcelona, doesn't give support to any candidacy."

Read more:
Salvat officially presents his candidacy
New group already preparing 2016 elections
Young Barcelona fans setting up candidacy