Most read of the month

these were the five most read blog posts during the past month of january:


1.
Live Coverage: Twitter chat session Sandro Rosell

2.
Godall: "The objective is a one billion budget"

3.
Slogan and logo Godall candidacy revealed

4.
Ribery on wish list Rosell

5.
Rosell skeptical about economic situation

Check the most read blog posts of:
October
November
December

Ferrer: "Efficiency, discretion and renewal"

Barcelona assets vice-president and presidential candidate Jaume Ferrer has opened an account at online question service Formspring. This blog will follow the account and keep you updated on the most interesting questions and answers published on there.


You had already decided to run for president of Barça when you, after some doubts, ended up supporting the board after the vote of no confidence in 2008?
No, at that moment my position was simply an act of responsibility. President Laporta was motivated to continue and I decided to support him, accepting all the consequences that could have.

Do you think that the Catalan identity of Barça is crucial in the club's identity? If you think so, what role should Barça play within the Catalan nationalism movement?
Of course it is. Barça should always support the Catalan institutions, but never be used as a political instrument.

Don't you think that the president of Barça, as representative of a global club, should try to "take care" of the fans outside Catalonia? I think there have been some statements that should be avoided...
Without forgetting that we are a Catalan club and what we represent, we must keep in mind that not only people living in Catalonia are club members or fans. We need to accommodate the fans outside of Catalonia and try to make them also feel comfortable.

Who will be the sports director? And what will be your transfer policy? Will the youth players continue to be as important in the first team?
For the position of sports director, I continue to believe in Txiki Begiristain. I think he has done an excellent job and as far as I'm concerned it just depends on him wanting to continue. The transfer policy should not be dictated by other people than the coach, Josep Guardiola, and the sports director. And the first team should obviously be fed, as far as possible, with players of the academy.

Do you completely rule out a deal with Alfons Godall, Agustí Benedito or Ferran Soriano? Because you are all heirs of the best Barça in history, and the battle against Sandro Rosell will be very tough.
My candidacy continues to have the doors open, but I think that now is the time for everyone to make their program public.

Could you define your project in three words?
Efficiency, discretion and renewal.

What differentiates your project of that headed by Alfons Godall?
My candidacy is an innovative one that besides wishing to strengthen the economic model and the sports model, also wants to provide a breath of fresh air. I believe in the current model, but I also believe that the new president has to stay away from self-centeredness. The president of Barça has to limit himself to his job and let the professionals do their work, appear less in the media and make sure that everything functions in an efficient and discreet way.

Who will be part of your team?
As you already know I have the support of board members Albert Perrín, Alfons Castro, Jordi Torrent, Jacint Borrás and Josep Antón Colomer. There are also other new people who will bring fresh ideas and whom you will get to know soon.

Shouldn't the club give a little more importance to the other sports, especially basketball?
Without any doubt. During those years I got to know the other sports because I was responsible for the handball section. The club is not just a football club. Basketball, handball and roller hockey, plus the other sports, are also very important to us. Moreover, I am a big basketball fan and when it's possible I always attend the home games.

How will the support of Laporta for the other vice-president affect your campaign?
As a club member, Joan Laporta is free to support who he wants, like every other member who will be able to express himself the day of the elections. I have already said on more than one occasion that because of their friendship it is normal that Laporta supports Godall.

Read more:
Ferrer: "The homegrown players are the basis"

The Quote: Agusti Benedito

"I predict that the elections will go between two or three candidates. And one of those will be my candidacy."


Agustí Benedito,
Barcelona presidential candidate

read more election quotes here

Cartoon 26: Candidates asked to animate midweek

Customer 1:
The fact of not having mid-week games leaves one totally disconnected. I don't even know who we're playing next.

Customer 2:
If the presidential candidates at least would put up some fight... But not even that.

(click the cartoon to enlarge)


by alex

source:
golsud

see more cartoons here

Guixa: "I reaffirm that the club is almost bankrupt"

This blog had an exclusive interview with Barcelona presidential candidate Jaume Guixà.


PLAYERS You plan to contact players or their entourage trying to close pre-agreements or you won't enter the game of putting out names and transfers?
It's too early to talk about signings, although in the future we will announce what our intentions are regarding this issue.

Would you be willing to pay between 40 and 50 million euros for the return of Cesc Fàbregas?
Cesc wants to come back and we want him to come back, but as I said before: it is very early to talk about transfers. Either way, what is clear is that we will have to sign the players wanted by Guardiola and we will negotiate to pay the right price taking into account the circumstances of the market and the qualities of the player.

ECONOMY You have said in an interview with 'El 9 Esportiu' that the club is on the verge of bankruptcy. You can assure that this was not just a strategic statement in the built-up to the elections and that you have concrete and reliable indications that the financial situation of the club is disastrous?
I reaffirm my statement. We believe that the club member should be worried about the economic situation of the club. I do not believe the offical numbers.

What will be your plan to clean up the economic situation of the club? You have in your candidacy experienced people who are capable of doing this?
In our candidacy we have a person specialized in economics, who has a fantastic curriculum, is linked to this sector and is amply prepared to take charge of the economic area.

SHIRT Do you want to continue the collaboration with Unicef?
Of course. It is a good initiative that also perfectly matches with the value that Barça is "More than a club".

You consider a return to a "virgin" shirt in the future? A shirt with a commercial brand can be an option for you or this is totally excluded?
We want to maintain the design with the Unicef logo.

HOOLIGANS Do you agree with the policy of president Joan Laporta against the Boixos Nois, the radical fans, and do you want to continue to not give them any privileges?
Without any doubt we need to keep the violent people away from the stadiums. People are going to a football game to have fun and not to worry about their safety.

ELECTION DATE Do you agree with the choice of the date on which the elections will be held? Did you prefer another day?
We were prepared for any date that the board thought was the right one. We have been working for a long time and we are ready to lead an interesting candidacy that can persuade the Barcelona fans. 13 June seems a good date to us, because it won't affect the performances of the team and because they have listened to the opinion of the players.

SIGNATURES You need around 2100 signatures of members to be able to participate in the upcoming elections. You hope to reach this number? You in some way already have "secured" a certain number of signatures?
I fully believe in our possibilities. Moreover, we have a team of volunteers in place who, when the time is there, will work to make it happen.

In 2006, you said you got 1694 signatures (when 1804 were needed) but you never submitted them to the competent commission so it was not possible to check them. Some have criticized this decision by saying that you didn't act right towards the members who had given you their signature. You understand this criticism? And can you explain again why you decided not to submit the signatures in August 2006?
At that time I said that I would only submit the signatures if I would reach the number of 1804. Back then, I thanked the people who supported me for their help and I want to repeat that now.

BARCA IN THE WORLD You share the analysis that Barça can not grow a lot anymore in Catalonia or Spain while at the same time in other parts of the world there's an almost unlimited potential of fans and that this is why the club (apart of course from taking care of their roots) needs to have a more global focus? You have a plan to make Barça grow abroad?
We believe that internationalization is important - and I have experienced that in person during my recent trip to the United Arab Emirates because of the World Cup for Clubs - and we have prepared a great marketing plan that will allow us to coherently work on the issue. Either way, we will not forget the Catalan and the Spanish fans.

Many thanks for this interview and good luck in the campaign.

this was the second and last part of this interview. you can read the first part here.

Read more:
More about Guixa
Three 'Dream Team' players in candidacy Guixa
Guixa: "The financial situation worries me"

How many people will be able to vote?

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that possibly more than 110.000 people will have the right to vote in the elections for president of FC Barcelona later this year.

To be a qualified voter on Sunday 13 June, the elector basically needs to be an adult and have been a club member for a minimum of one year (read more here).

At the end of last year, Barcelona had 173.187 club members, more than one fifth of which are minor. The number of members on 13 June 2009, one year before the elections, is estimated around 160.000. In the 2003 elections, 94.339 club members had the right to cast their vote.

Read more:
Who can vote in the elections?
Elections will be held on Sunday 13 June
Plan for internet voting rejected

Godall: "I'm not the puppet of Laporta"

Barcelona first vice-president and presidential candidate Alfons Godall gave an interview to Catalan newspaper El Periódico.


Do you understand that the suspicions are now growing that the spying of the vice-presidents (read more here) happened for electoral purposes? Coincidentally, you were the only one who was not investigated.
People have the right to think the worst if they want so. I wasn't the object of these investigations or these studies because at that time I was out of the electoral race. But I recognize that it was a sad chain of errors. I want to learn from the mistakes, and also from this one.

Having said that, unfortunately, when someone gets involved in the entourage of Barça at whatever level, he should accept that his private and professional life will be analyzed and often with unclear purposes.

Yes, but you didn't have to undergo it.
Now I didn't, but they did investigate me before: in 1996, when we started to make some noise with the 'Elefant Blau' [barcelona opposition group], when we took part in the 2000 elections and again in 2003, and during our time in office.

I know about it because I have been informed, for example by banks with whom I work, that there have been individuals or companies that have collected information about my business and financial situation, I imagine as a part of some study or audit.

But that didn't come from within the club. Would you accept to be investigated now for your own "security"?
I have no objection at all to be investigated if they want so because my life is very normal and I think I have very little dirty laundry to hide. It is true that there is always a more intimate circle, namely the family, where it is very annoying to feel being watched.

Why is a joint candidacy with Jaume Ferrer not possible when you say that you get along well with him? Because of the continuity of chief executive Joan Oliver?
The director general has done a brilliant management job in very difficult economic times. I like his efficiency and I am a strong supporter of him staying at the club.

Is it true that one of the reasons is that you don't want to include directors Albert Perrín, Jacint Borràs and Josep Anton Colomer in your list?
I don't want to be a prisoner of the board of directors I might have in the future. I think that a candidate has to chose people with whom he connects well and therefore I ask the freedom needed to make that decision. I want to make room for new blood and for a policy of alliances with other people.

This isn't about names, I don't want to personalize things by telling who I exclude. I want to choose my travel companions freely and according to my own preferences, and so far we haven't been able to find the right balance that could lead to this agreement with Jaume.

It's not only a matter of winning the elections, although this is of course the most important point, but also of being able to govern in a stable way after that.

You always speak about Ferran Soriano in a praising tone and without excluding a pact. Don't you think that Laporta would feel betrayed?
I told Laporta that I want to have the total freedom to develop the strategy of alliances that seems best to me. This shows from the start that I'm not the puppet of Laporta, nor the representative of anyone. I have my own personality and my own project. I hope and I am convinced that Jan will understand my choices, even when he's not feeling the same about them.

On the other hand you always kept distance from Rosell.
It's not a matter of persons but of moments and of reasons why they left. Rosell left early because in fact he didn’t share our sporting model. I think he wanted to be the sporting model himself.

Soriano on the other hand left a lot later, he shared the model and his reason was the interpretation of the vote of no confidence. He and the others felt morally obliged to resign and I respect that, although in my opinion they were wrong.

Do you think that both you and Ferrer don’t have to put down a bank guarantee?
I'm not considering the possibility of having to guarantee since the competent administration and custodian of the guarantee, which is the LFP, the Professional Football League, tells us that we don’t have to do it. And it's the same in the case of Ferrer.

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

Read more:
Godall officially confirms presidential candidacy
Boix will not choose between Godall and Ferrer
Team member Rosell asks Godall to resign

interview: david torras