Benedito: "I will win the elections"

Barcelona presidential candidate Agustí Benedito gave an interview to Spanish football site Madrid-Barcelona.


Laporta recently presented his book, in which he reports on something very serious, namely that mister Rosell told him, when Ronaldinho wasn't yet at Barça for one year, to sell the player to Chelsea for 100 million euros and that they were offered a 10% commission, this was 5 million for both of the them. Mister Laporta explains that, shocked by what Rosell proposed to him, he never reported it. Do you believe this?
What I believe is that we are dealing with an extremely serious event. We are talking about a president of Barça accusing a vice-president of having offered him a deal of around 1.700 million pesetas. I haven't been in a situation where a vice-president of mine could offer me something like that, but if he would do it I can assure you that he wouldn't stay in office for 24 hours. Therefore, the comments that I make are the following ones. First, why does Laporta maintains mister Rosell as vice-president? Second, why doesn't he inform the rest of the board of what happened? And third, why does he wait six years to make this public when this is a very serious matter? I also want to say another thing. I am very eager to hear the explanations of mister Rosell. Barcelona fans have a big problem at this moment. People do not know who to believe. All I can say is that if the allegations of mister Laporta are true I have only one wish: that a person like this will never be president of Barça.

Couldn't it be that mister Laporta is the one who is lying to torpedo his worst enemy and to help the continuity candidacy?
In Barcelona, where in recent days there has been a lot of discussion about this, it was told to me that the version of Rosell is just the opposite, namely that it was Laporta who made the proposal. If true, it would be equally bad that Rosell didn't denounce him. As a candidate, I am at this moment also very interested in the opinion of mister Jaume Ferrer, treasurer of the Barça board at the time and who I haven't yet heard. I wonder if he believes that Laporta's statements are true or if he thinks that Laporta is lying. It is very important for the club of today and the future that this issue would be resolved.

The media don't have a lot of attention for you. Wouldn't it be ideal for you to have a debate between mister Ferrer, mister Rosell and yourself or do you think they would never accept it?
I hope the club members will have the opportunity to live a debate between those who aspire to be president. I hope that the democratic spirit and the interest of communication will prevail over other types of more specific interests. I have the hope that the day will come when there will be a debate.

Do you think that the mainstream media, or some of them, are at the service of certain candidates?
I think it is clear that the two major media groups in Barcelona are positioned alongside one of the two main alternatives. Some defend the candidacy of Rosell and others defend the continuity candidacy. I don't think that I'm saying anything that is not a reality.

Image that one of the major media concerns is positioned at the side of Rosell and the other at your side. Would you win the elections?
I believe that, against all odds, we will win the elections. I think it will be important to discuss and to publicly compare our programs, maybe through some debates. It's true that the media are supporting other alternatives, but they have a problem: the media don't vote. Thank god, when there are elections, the one who votes is the club member, who is also the owner of Barça, and he has the last word. That will cause a surprise on 13 June.

Which percentage of the voters are according to you still undecided about whom to vote for?
We have some polls that tell us that 80% of the voters are not convinced of whom to vote for. Therefore, we consider these elections to be totally open. I think the vote will be decided in the last days of the campaign, as is usually the case. We think around 70.000 people could come out to vote on 13 June and therefore they will be open elections. In any case, I can confirm that we will far exceed the number of signatures needed. We are getting a lot of support, I would even say that the support is multiplying, and I can assure you that with absolute certainty we will be one of the maybe three people eligible to the office.

Finally, tell us what that third way of Agustí Benedito is.
Despite the interests there can be to make this a two-men race, we are absolutely confident that the elections are open, that the day will come when we will have the opportunity to talk about our project and to defend it against that of the other two. That will be the time when the member will finally have the opportunity to evaluate them and make his choice.

this was the third and last part of this interview.

Read the previous parts:
Benedito: "I do not feel bitter"
Benedito: "We're not choosing a sports director"

Benedito: "We're not choosing a sports director"

Barcelona presidential candidate Agustí Benedito gave an interview to Spanish football site Madrid-Barcelona.


I'm going to read a few of your phrases: "I present myself as the third way between the ego-centred and arrogant continuism of Ferrer and the galactic temptation of a still unknown project of Rosell". Ferrer is arrogant and a puppet?
That phrase is not accurate. On Monday 22 March I made some statements in which I defined myself as an alternative for the arrogant continuism. At that time, the continuism was headed by mister Godall.

That phrase can be applied to Ferrer?
I think that Ferrer has a way of acting that is different from that of Godall and that of Laporta.

A better one?
Certainly less arrogant.

And what do you mean when you talk about "the galactic temptation of a still unknown project of Rosell"? That if Sandro Rosell becomes president he is going to turn into our Florentino and to make a galactic Barça?
What I say is that, first, we don't know anything about the project and because of that we speak by intuition. In my case I speak based on the knowledge I have of some members of his team, because I know some of those people for many years. I have indeed the feeling that his model will come closer to that of Real Madrid.

Another phrase of yours: "We must put a very, very high barrier between the Barça of all of us and the private business interests of a few people". Are you referring to Rosell? To Ferrer? To both of them?
In my opinion we're touching a really important issue here. I think that - based on the intuition in case of Rosell, and on my knowledge in case of the continuity project - it is more than ever important that we establish this principle and this concept. I have the impression that it is necessary to raise that barrier, because I think there is some confusion.

You have also said: "My choice is different from the project of change that emerges from resentment or a bitter confrontation". Does that mean that you are saying that Rosell is angry, looking for the confrontation with Laporta and therefore not objective?
I argue that the general interest of the club must be above any ego. I have the feeling that these two projects that are taking part in the elections, that of the continuism and that of Rosell, do not meet this requirement. I have the feeling that there is a battle of egos that seems more important than the interests of the club, that there is resentment involved that comes from years ago. That's my perception of things.

You have also described the model of Rosell as "a project that comes from a very exclusive sector of the club, an option that is closely linked to business opportunities in the sports industry and that is distanced from the ways of behaving at this club and this country". What I see is that your 'cannon-shots' are basically directed towards Rosell. Is that because he's the candidate you are most afraid of?
In the speech to which you refer I equally talked about the continuism and about Sandro Rosell. I totally agree with what you've just read now. I admit that at this moment Rosell is the best positioned candidate in the polls. Therefore, he is to some degree the man to beat.

Rosell was responsible for the signing of Ronaldinho. Do you think that the knowledge and the contacts you have in the world of football can have an influence on the members when voting?
I don't know. A few days ago, a journalist told me that I was facing a man who knows a lot about football, who dominates the Brazilian market, who has a profound knowledge of the transfer market... In the end I told him: "Hey, we're not choosing a sports director, we're choosing a president."

this was the second part of this interview. you can read the first part here. you will be able to read the third and last part in the coming days with benedito talking - among other things - about barcelona president joan laporta and the election campaign.

Read more:
Benedito: "The signatures won't be a problem"
Logo and first campaign slogan Benedito revealed
Benedito says he will also run in next elections

Benedito: "I do not feel bitter"

Barcelona presidential candidate Agustí Benedito gave an interview to Spanish football site Madrid-Barcelona.


Do you have enough money to deposit the bank guarantee?
To be president of Barça one must meet certain requirements without which one cannot hold the office. As I intend to be president, I will meet the requirement of depositing a bank guarantee for 15% of the budget, which is 56 million euros, in case of victory. I do not have to do that alone but jointly with the 15 members of the list.

You worked side by side with president Laporta when you founded the 'Elefant Blau' to overthrow president Núñez. When Laporta was elected as president in 2003, how were you rewarded for your efforts?
I worked together for many years with Laporta and with many other people, even before the vote of no confidence and the 'Elefant Blau'. When Laporta called me to join his team eight months before the elections, I was not able to accept and I refused the offer. Since he has been president of Barça, he never asked me to be a member of the board.

That should make you feel bitter...
No. We spent seven years working together, also with other people, and I've been working with him for five years and nine months in the club.

But is not the same to be in the club than to be a director or vice-president and have all the privileges. You must be bitter for that reason.
I can assure you that I am not bitter and all the people who worked with me during that time will confirm this. I understand that for many people this is perhaps a crucial issue but not in my case. I have worked as hard as I could for a project in which I believed and in which I still believe and my specific role is absolutely of minor importance. I am satisfied with having been able to take part in that project, while at the same time disappointed of not having been able to fully execute it.

Were you surprised when the law firm of Laporta got involved in the purchase of Mallorca by someone of Uzbekistan? Were you surprised?
I was surprised and I would almost say that I was shocked. In fact, when I heard about it, I left the club. Never before, I've had any certainty or evidence of an unethical or illegal behaviour by Laporta. Never. And when I have the first proof, which was given to me by he himself, I left.

And right now, don't you think it's strange that he is trying for mister Ferrer to be his successor at Barça so that things can stay the same and possible irregularities at the club cannot be discovered?
As for the choice for continuity he defends, I think that to some extent it is actually normal. It makes sense that he wants people he trusts to continue because he must believe in his club model and his way of managing. Therefore, it is normal that his preferred option is to have people he believes in developing it further in the future. That there would be other motives and he's trying to shield off other things? That is also possible.

And as a result of all this, the person he supports could be a puppet manipulated by him?
Well, we will see what will happen and who will in the end be the person who will represent this project. Until a few days ago, it seemed to be someone else. Today it seems that it is mister Jaume Ferrer. Let's wait and see...

this was the first part of this interview. you will be able to read the following parts in the coming days with benedito talking - among other things - about the projects of jaume ferrer and sandro rosell.

Read more:
Benedito: "The signatures won't be a problem"
Logo and first campaign slogan Benedito revealed
Benedito says he will also run in next elections