[picture] Sandro Rosell and Charly

Former Barcelona player and coach Carles Rexach, who supports Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell, took this week part in a debate at the campaign headquarters of the former sports vice-president.

Rexach confirms his support for Rosell

In his weekly column in Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo, former Barcelona player and coach Carles Rexach has confirmed his support for Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell:

"I recently had the occasion to speak at length with Sandro, and I must admit that his enthusiasm, his ideas and his nobility have convinced me.

I might not know anything else, but few can give me lessons about football. And I must admit that Sandro knows something about football. And he has clear ideas about how a club should be managed in the 21st century.

Sandro Rosell can count on my support. He told me that he would want me to add my experience if he is elected as president. I told him that, if I can, I'll be happy to cooperate, but my dream is to continue enjoying the football of Barça and to feel proud of the club's president."

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Rexach met last week with Rosell and told the former sports vice-president that he would publicly announce that he would vote for him. Because there wouldn't be any more vacancies in the sports structure of Rosell, Rexach wouldn't for now get a specific task within the candidacy.

Rexach reportedly made his decision last-minute after he had first considered to run for president and was then close to joining the candidacy that was set up by former Barcelon presidential candidates Josep Maria Minguella and Jordi Medina and that will be led by Catalan businessman Santiago Salvat (read more here).

Asked about the rumoured support of Rexach, Rosell had said on Monday evening during a seminar: "Charly is a living myth, a great person whom everyone would want to talk with if he would be here today. He is a guy who knows a lot about football, he knows how Barça is working and it would be pleasure if he would join our team."

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Rexach will join the candidacy of Rosell

Catalan sports weekly paper Gol claims that former Barcelona player and coach Carles Rexach will join the candidacy of Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell.

After a first contact and a principal agreement, the final co-operation would be established during an upcoming new meeting between Rexach and Rosell, although it's not clear when the news will be made public.

Rexach would be part of the sports area of the club, although there is still uncertainty about the concrete position the former player, assistant coach, coach and sports director would occupy. He would become sports director [currently txiki begiristain], youth director [currently alexanko] or director of football [currently raul sanllehí].

The 63-year old Catalan, who has mainly been working as a football pundit since he left the club in 2003, was a Barcelona player from 1967 to 1981, coached the team on three occasions as caretaker and was the manager of the team during the 2001-2002 season.

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The three areas and vice-presidents of Rosell
Rexach could join Minguella-Medina candidacy

Rexach still thinking about running for president

Asked about the rumours former Barcelona player and coach Carles Rexach would join the candidacy set up by ex-candidates Josep Maria Minguella and Jordi Medina and headed by Catalan businessman Santiago Salvat (read more here), Minguella has said in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC1 that Rexach didn't yet make a final decision:

"I can't say anything, it's him who should make a decision. Charly is welcome because he's a nice person who appeals to the Barcelona fans but he should make the decision. Someone has told him that he could head a candidacy and he's free to do what he wants. Whatever he does, I will support him, although I think both for him as for us it would be good to team up."

In an interview with Catalan radio station Catalunya Ràdio had earlier already explained that Rexach is still considering the possibility of running for president himself in upcoming elections which will be held on Sunday 13 June:

"The situation of Charly is very complex because he got involved in Facebook, which has led to some major doubts about what to do since he got the support of over 5.000 members. But how many of those are club members? Those are 5.000 perople who are clicking - or how do you call that - but the important thing is to know how many members there are between them.

Charly is of course important in the entourage of the club, he can atttract votes, but first he should make a decision. I would never reject him, on the contrary, I offer Charly to join me because I think it's a good guy and I would want to have him at my side. But he will decide.

I think that someone is driving him a bit crazy, saying that he has a chance, that they will promote him, that he will win and all that, which makes that he is now in doubt and didn't yet make a decision. I've read that he has said that this week will be decisive. We'll see."

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Rexach will participate in the elections

In his weekly column in Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo, former Barcelona player and coach Carles Rexach has said that he will be involved in the electoral process:

"I will certainly take part in the elections, although I cannot reveal in which way, if it will be as head of the list, leading a project, or as member of a candidacy assuming certain concrete functions. This week is crucial to solve all the questions. I will intensify the contacts and make a final decision.

The only thing I can advance is that I will participate and I am happy about that, especially because of all those members and fans who have asked me through Facebook or in person when we crossed on the street to do something. I am very happy with so many expressions of support and I hope to not disappoint them no matter what my role will be. Thank you all."

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Rexach will next week decide on candidacy

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.

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Rexach will next week decide on candidacy

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, former Barcelona player and manager Carles Rexach has said that he is still looking at the option to run for president in the upcoming elections and that he plans to decide next week:

"It's possible that I take part in the elections. I will let the Madrid game pass by and next week we will make a decision. There are people I'm interested in, others not that much. The world of football is quite complicated, but we will not jump the gun."

According to Spanish news agency Europa Press, Rexach also assured that he already has a project in place that would include names of collaborators.

Madrid sports tabloid As claims that one of the main people behind the candidacy of Rexach is Antón Parera, a former Barcelona executive at the time of former presidents Josep Lluís Núñez and Joan Gaspart, under whom he was general director.

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Rexach trying to set up campaign

Rexach trying to set up campaign

In his weekly column in Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo, former Barcelona player and coach Carles Rexach has said that he is earnestly looking at the option to take part in the presidential elections after a Facebook group in his support reached more than 5.000 members (read more here):

"Last week, when I wrote my article, there didn't yet were 5.000 fans who supported me on Facebook. Now I've already passed that barrier and, as promised, I'm seriously considering the possibility of running for president.

I have been a player, assistant coach, manager and sports director at Barça, so the only thing I have left is to become director or president. I will work very hard for the people who have given me their support. To be able to have a chance, I will now have to find a reliable team.

If I will have succeeded in doing that, then it will be time to put on paper the ideas I have in my head, knowing that at the sporting level you have to change very little. But for now, step by step, we should create a group."

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Rexach seriously considering to run for president

Asked if he, as promised, will take part in the elections now that a Facebook group in his support has reached the required number of 5000 members (read more here), former Barcelona player and manager Carles Rexach has said in an interview with Catalan television channel Canal Català that he is considering the option:

"It started as a joke but now I'm seriously thinking about it because a lot of important people are calling me to ask what I will do. It would be like the bellboy ending up as the general director. But there's still a lot of time left to analyze the pro's and the contra's. Now could be the right moment because it seems as if everything goes well and that only a couple of things should be adjusted.

If I put a step forward, it should in any case be with a serious project. Therefore you need a team with the same qualities as the players of Barça, all aces. It's not an ego thing because I've already overcome that. The president should in the end only be at the second or third row because the exits come through the coaches and the players."

In an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena SER, Rexach said: "Now I have to consider this. Although I like joking, I'm a serious guy and to take a decision like this one you need to analyze things because Barça is a very serious institution.

People like me can now consider running. Thirty years ago you needed a certain reputation, which I don't have, but the world has moved on and now everyone can take part if they fulfil the conditions set out by the statutes of the club. I admit I am surprised by how people react to this. When I'm going somewhere now, everybody calls me 'president'.

What I do know is that I wouldn't get involved in politics. For me, sports and politics should be separated because there's already enough politics in the world of sports. Alliances? I could reach an agreement with anyone because I have a good relationship with everyone, although I have the most contact with Sandro Rosell."

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Poll result: Would Rexach be good president?

Rexach has Facebook support he asked for

The Facebook group that was created after former Barcelona player and manager Carles Rexach had said on a television program that he will run for president of FC Barcelona if such a group would gather 5.000 members (read more here), has yesterday evening reached the required number.

The group on Facebook, that is called "Carles Rexach: Si som 5.000 em presento" [Carles Rexach: If we are with 5.000, I will run], meanwhile keeps growing and has now already more than 5.300 members. Rexach himself so far didn't react to the news.

The 63-year old Catalan, who has mainly been working as a football pundit since he left the club in 2003, was a Barcelona player from 1967 to 1981, coached the team on three occasions as caretaker and was the manager of the team during the 2001-2002 season.

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Rexach has almost enough Facebook support

The Facebook group that was created after former Barcelona player and manager Carles Rexach had said that he will run for president if such a group would gather 5.000 members has already more than 4.300 followers (read more here).

Rexach spoke earlier this week about the issue in his weekly column in Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo:

"I made the bet that if I would receive the support of 5.000 fans at Facebook, I would take part in the Barça elections. I just accepted like that, among other things because I hardly know what this Facebook thing is about.

But reporters are calling me every now and then and say 'ay, ay, ay!' because the list of supporters is getting longer every day, but we'll see what happens. In any case, there is still a lot of time left for the elections..."

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Poll result: Would Rexach be good president?

Poll result: Would Rexach be good president?

Would Charly Rexach be a good president for FC Barcelona?

No 70%
Yes 30%

total votes: 6889
start date poll: 11 february 2010
poll method: internet, free participation
source: sport

Medina continues to work on candidacy

Asked about his role in the upcoming elections, twice presidential pre-candidate Jordi Medina has said in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that he keeps on working trying to form a candidacy: "We're working on a project, but it's not yet sure it will lead to an actual candidacy.

Because of a communication problem with another member of the project, Jordi Majó, who could have been one of the leading figures, prefers not to keep on investing time and effort in it. Josep Maria Minguella, myself and other people continue to work hard.

We don't know who will lead the candidacy. It could be Josep Maria, myself or none of the two. That is something we're discussing, analyzing and if we can launch this project, the candidate will be the one we agree on to be the most suited person.

We have been talking with many people, also from outside our group. Some are still considering it, some have rejected the offer for personal reasons - something we understand - and with others we're still talking.

Xavier Bosch? That has been published, so I can now confirm that we have been talking with him but because of his professional situation it wasn't possible. Charly Rexach? I didn't talk with Charly personally, but I know there have been some meetings and dinners that I didn't attend. He has the profile of a good candidate but I don't have more information on that.

It's true that we plan to come out as late as possible because we first want to work hard, prepare the program, not reveal anything. We could start thinking about a calendar when the final decision to take part has been made but nothing will be organized or announced before the month of April."

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Rexach will run if he gets Facebook support

Former Barcelona player and manager Carles Rexach has said at the end of last month on Catalan local televisión channel Canal Català that he will run for president if a Facebook group in support of his candidacy would reach 5.000 members. After this statement, a group was created that has until this date gathered a few hundred people.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo meanwhile claimed last week that a series of meetings took place to reactivate the option that Rexach would run for president in the elections. A group of Barcelona fans would have everything prepared and would only be waiting for the decision of Rexach (read more here).

The former player and coach would reportedly again be more willing to accept the offer than he was a couple of weeks ago (read more here). Catalan sports weekly paper Gol on the other hand claims that the group that wants Rexach to run would have problems to get the project financed.

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Catalan journalist rejects offer to run for president

Catalan sports weekly paper Gol claims, confirming an earlier report by Catalan radio station Catalunya Ràdio, that Catalan journalist Xavier Bosch (picture) has rejected an offer to head a candidacy in the elections for president of FC Barcelona later this year.

A group of people that were linked to the presidential candidacy of Catalan business man Lluís Bassat in 2003 would be trying to set up a project. The group, that would have the financial resources needed and only want to come out at the very last moment, had offered Bosch to lead the candidacy.

Xavier Bosch is a 42-year old journalist who currently hosts a talkshow on Catalan television channel TV3 and also acts as football pundit for Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo and Catalan radio station RAC 1. The journalist, who has also been linked to presidential candidate Sandro Rosell, reportedly refused the offer because of family reasons.

The above-mentioned group would meanwhile also have been talking with former Barcelona player and manager Carles Rexach and the group of Barcelona club members that had offered him earlier to run for president (read more here). The two groups would now want to join forces to present to the voters an alternative project.

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Medina confirms he's working on a candidacy

Asked what his role will be in the upcoming presidential elections, former presidential candidate Jordi Medina confirmed last week in an interview with Catalan radio station Rac 1 that he is holding talks trying to form a candidacy ahead of the elections in June:

"We're motivated, we're excited, we have a project, we are talking with several people of the entourage of the club to see if we can link up. The moment will come when we will have to go public and I'm hopeful that we will be able to present a solid project that can be attractive."

Medina elaborated on the plans in an interview with Catalan radio station COM Ràdio on Monday: "We are working on a project and the moment will come when we will have to take a decision and make it public. We hope to make it work and to present an attractive project that the Barcelona fans will like.

Rexach and Minguella are involved? Personally I didn't meet with Charly. I know there have been some reports but I don't know where those were coming from. But it's true that we have been talking with Barcelona people, among which of course Josep Maria Minguella, a close friend of mine, but also others.

We have met, we have talked, but nothing has been decided. I shouldn't necesarily lead a possible candidacy. In all honesty, I have a lot of work and I don't have much time, which would make it difficult for me to head a candidacy. But so I'm working to help to form a list, although we're not in a hurry."

Jordi Medina is a 45-year old Catalan lawyer who was a pre-candidate in the 2003 and 2006 elections but failed twice to collect enough signatures of club members to take part in the final vote. Medina is the chairman of 'Un Crit Valent', an FC Barcelona platform.

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Llaurado admits talks with Minguella and Rexach

Possible Barcelona presidential candidate Jaume Llauradó gave an interview to Catalan sports weekly paper Gol.


Will you run for president of Barça or not?
I have not yet made a decision.

On what does it depend?
On a few things.

They told me that a candidacy is being formed around the figure of Carles Rexach, that includes Minguella, Roche, Parera... And with you as key person.
If I would deny that, I would be lying to you. But I don't think that this project in the end will go through.

Why would that list be headed by Rexach and not by yourself?
A lot of people have to participate in a candidacy, not only people with ideas, but also people who scratch their pockets. If I will finally take part in the elections or not, depends on a meeting with another likely candidate and on the number of candidacies there will be. When there are many, there will be less possibilities to have an original project and reach the club members. In a few days, things will be clear.

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Former coach Rexach will not run for president

Catalan online sports paper Yoya claims that former Barcelona player and manager Carles "Charly" Rexach will not run for president in the upcoming elections later this year.

It was rumoured that a group of club members had offered Rexach to be the "face" of their candidacy (read more here), but Jordi Medina, who was a presidential pre-candidate in 2003 and 2006 and is now one of the people behind the group (together with former candidates Josep Maria Minguella and Jordi Majó, and surgeon Miquell Llobet), would have denied that Rexach will join their project.

Sources close to the above-mentioned group meanwhile confirmed to this blog that Rexach was in the beginning a possible candidate for them, but that they are at this moment looking for another person to lead the project. Rexach could nevertheless still be part of the candidacy.

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Minguella and Medina behind Rexach candidacy

Madrid sports tabloid As confirms that former Barcelona player and manager Carles "Charly" Rexach (63) has been offered by a group of Barcelona fans to head a candidacy in the presidential elections later this year (read more here).

The mentioned group would, among others, consist of Jordi Roche (former president of the Catalan football federation – read more here), Jordi Medina (pre-candidate in the elections in 2003 and 2006 – read more here), Josep Maria Minguella (candidate in the elections in 2003 – read more here) and Miquel Llobet, a famous Catalan orthopedic surgeon.

The idea is that Rexach would be the "face" of the candidacy and that he would be assisted by qualified professionals in areas like finances and marketing. The whole project should be finalized by the end of this month, so that the team would be ready in case the elections are called.

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Rexach confirms offer to run for president

Asked about the rumours that he could run for president (read more here), former Barcelona player and manager Carles "Charly" Rexach has confirmed in an interview with Catalan television channel Barcelona TV that he has been offered to lead a candidacy:

"It's correct that people have asked me to take part in the elections but I don't want to say anything more about it. What was my answer to the offer? I won't comment on that."

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that those who want Rexach to run for president are old-school Barcelona fans but that the former player and coach would at this point not be very convinced about accepting the offer.

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