Godall withdraws his campaign for the presidency

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona first vice-president Alfons Godall has decided to withdraw his "+Barça" campaign for the presidency of FC Barcelona.

Although he doesn't exclude to be part of another candidacy, Godall won't be a presidential candidate himself in the elections on 13 June. Godall would announce his decision in the next hours. The news has meanwhile also been confirmed to this blog.

[Update:] The news has been confirmed through an official announcement of the candidacy.

Read more:
Godall officially confirms presidential candidacy
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Soriano confirms he won't run for president

Former Barcelona economic vice-president Ferran Soriano has said at a press conference this afternoon that he won't run for president of FC Barcelona in the elections that will take place in June:

"Over the last days, I have thought some more about the issue and I have come to the conclusion that I won't be a candidate in the elections of 2010, due to the big challenge I have at Spanair. Although I keep on thinking that my position at Spanair and that of president of FC Barcelona can be combined, the opinion of the shareholders has had an influence. I love my club but this isn't the right moment."

Soriano nevertheless repeated that he wants to take part in a constructive way in the elections but that he at this moment doesn't have the intention to be part of a candidacy, although he doesn't exclude it either, saying that he will wait to see how things will evolve and see if there appears a project "between" those of Ferrer and Rosell but that he certainly won't try to set up a candidacy himself.

Asked if he could run for president in the future, Soriano said: "I have never left Barça. I have been working at the club for five years and I think I served the club in an honest way. And I left when I had to leave and when in my opinion the people asked it. 2016? Who knows how things will look like then but it's not an objective."

Read more:
Soriano will not run for president
Candidacies carrying out polls
Spanair board divided on Soriano candidacy

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
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The Rosell Project - Part 4: The Board (2)

Soriano will not run for president

After Catalan radio station RAC 1 brought the news first yesterday late in the evening, almost all Catalan media confirm today former Barcelona economic vice-president Ferran Soriano will announce later today that he will not run for Barcelona president in the upcoming elections.

Soriano would have made the decision yesterday around noon. The pressure from the shareholders of Spanish airline Spanair, of which Soriano is the chairman since last year, would have been decisive in his final decision. Catalan newspaper El Periódico claims that there has also been political pressure.

Despite of not heading a candidacy himself, Soriano would leave the door open to be part of another project or give his support to another candidate who will take part in the elections.

El Periódico claims that Soriano and his right-hand man, former Barcelona sports vice-president Marc Ingla, could try to look for someone who could lead the project they have been working on. Catalan sports paper El 9 Esportiu on the other hand claims that Soriano could join the candidacy of Barcelona assets vice-president Jaume Ferrer.

Read more:
Soriano calls press conference for tomorrow
Spanair board divided on Soriano candidacy
Soriano to make a decision before Friday

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

The Pundit: Tomas Guasch on easy victory Rosell

« The late Helenio Herrera, called The Wizard, made Barça great in the 1950s and Inter after that, and left us memorable quotes like "we will win without getting off the bus". This could be applied to Sandro Rosell in these elections. »

Tomás Guasch,
As

check more pundit talk

Soriano calls press conference for tomorrow

Former Barcelona economic vice-president Ferran Soriano will hold tomorrow at 5 pm local time a press conference at the Porta Fira hotel in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat near Barcelona, where he will explain what his role will be in the upcoming elections for president of FC Barcelona.

Read more:
Spanair board divided on Soriano candidacy
What will Evarist Murtra do?
Soriano to make a decision before Friday

Guixa, Benedito and Rosell react to latest events

The non-board presidential candidates yesterday also reacted to the latest event that led to Barcelona president Joan laporta and a large majority of the current board of directors give their support to Barcelona assests vice-president presidential candidate Jaume Ferrer (read more here):

Jaume Guixà [picture]
"I'm not surprised by what has happened, the continuism is in trouble. Laporta is playing with all of them. Generals who abandon their wounded soldiers never win wars. These events only generate more distrust among the members and put an end to the credibility of the continuism."

Agustí Benedito
"We continue to work on our project, as we have done since October. We believe that the club is above any personal interests and what has happened in the last hours is a sign of the deterioration of a project where people have become more important than the interests of the club."

Jaume López, campaign director of Sandro Rosell
"We fully respect all options and all candidates. As far as the events surrounding Alfons Godall are concerned, it is clear to us that this won't be the last thing that happens, that there is more to come over the next weeks and that the current situation will not be the final one but that it's logical things will still change."

Read more:
Godall not leaving electoral race
Laporta confirms board support for Ferrer
Sala i Martin considering his position