Most read of the week

these were the three most read blog posts of the past week:


1.
Logo and first campaign slogan Benedito revealed

2.
Ferrer becomes official continuity candidate

3.
Cruyff becomes honorary president

Ferrer presenting three new team members

Over the past weeks, Barcelona assets vice-president and presidential candidate Jaume Ferrer has officially presented three people who will be part of his board team, besides the five current directors (Albert Perrín, Alfons Castro, Jacint Borràs, Josep Anton Colomer and Jordi Torrent) who have supported Ferrer from the start.

Carles Ayats [picture above] is a 39 year old Catalan real estate developer of sports and shopping centers. Catalan sports paper Sport claimed that he's a former roller hockey player. Ayats could get involved in the social area of the club if Ferrer is elected as president.

Ramon Estebe [first picture below], a 45 year old Catalan lawyer, is founder and partner of the Instructa law firm. He is linked with several commissions of the Catalan football federation, of which he is also an external legal adviser. The role of Estebe in a possible board of directors wouldn't yet be defined.

Josep Ribas [second picture below] is a 49 year old Catalan architect who is a partner at the Ribas & Ribas architectural firm in Barcelona, that is among other things collaborating with famous French architect Jean Nouvel on several project in Catalonia.

Read more:
Director Torrent will be right-hand man Ferrer
Former vice-president Franquesa to support Ferrer
Director Colomer to be treasurer of Ferrer

Former vice-president Castells unlikely candidate

Asked about a possible participation in the elections for president of FC Barcelona in June (read more here), former Barcelona first vice-president Joan Castells has said in an interview with Catalan local television station Teletaxi TV that he is looking at the options, but that there is little chance he will be a candidate himself:

"At this moment, I have spoken with a lot of people and I don't exclude anything, but there is a probability of no more than 20 percent that I will run in the elections. On the other hand, if another candidacy would make me an offer, I would analyze it."

Joan Castells is the 57-year old chairman and chief executive of Spanish mutual insurance company Fiatc. In 2000, he was a pre-candidate in the elections for president of Barcelona but he ended up joining the candidacy of then vice-president Joan Gaspart.

After Gaspart won the elections, Castells was appointed as economic vice-president of the club. In December 2002, Castels resigned as first vice-president after Gaspart refused to call early elections. In the 2006 elections, Castells decided not to run and supported pre-candidate Jordi Medina.

Read more:
Former director Castells considering election role
Llaurado close to renouncing his candidacy
Opposition figure offered place in candidacy

The Pundit: Josep M Fonalleras on strategy Rosell

« The discrete strategy of Sandro Rosell seems to be the winning one even before he presents his candidacy. I don't know if it's arabic or chinese, but the saying seems to be perfectly valid: "Sit down on the doorstep of your house and watch the corpse of your enemy pass by." »

Josep M. Fonalleras,
Sport

check more pundit talk

The withdrawal statement of Godall

With the following statement, Barcelona first vice-president Alfons Godall withdraw his candidacy for the presidency of FC Barcelona on Thursday evening (read more here):


"Dear all,

I firmly believe that the +BARÇA project that was born on 25 January is totally valid, but at this moment, the circumstances needed to make it happen are not there.

The +BARÇA project intended to guarantee the successful management model that has led us to live the best years in the history of our club. This model has worked very well in the sporting, economic and social areas, has defended the Catalan identity of the club and has made FC Barcelona the club with the biggest social commitment and the most global club in the world.

This model still could go a long way, there are many challenges ahead, but we also need new people and new ideas to improve what has been achieved so far. I've always been in favour of joining forces and overcome old disputes, because projects are more important than people, and above all that is our beloved FC Barcelona. Therefore, I have never seen my leadership as a necessary condition for the +BARÇA project.

I will continue working to participate in a project that fills the huge space between the continuity because of the continuity and the change because of the change. I am sure that new opportunities and new hopes will arise in the 2010 elections at FC Barcelona.

I want to thank you for all the expressions of support and encouragement I have received since 25 January and especially during the past week. You are wonderful people, we will stay in touch through my profile on Facebook.

Visca el Barca and Visca Catalunya!

Alfons Godall."

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

Benedito: "I'm sure I can convince Guardiola"

Barcelona presidential candidate Agustí Benedito gave an interview to Spanish web portal Terra.


Will you maintain the model of Cruyff?
I don't know if Cruyff started the model. But yes. Whoever the president will be, we should continue on this path. We will certainly strengthen the youth section as much as possible, with transfers that improve the quality. This will keep on staying the same as it is now.

Some people at the youth section have been there for many years, like Alexanko [youth director]. Will you replace Alexanko, or someone else?
If we win, Alexanko will not stay. He will not be in charge of the youth section.

Even if Pep would ask you that he continues?
We would talk with Pep and we would come to an agreement with Pep, I am convinced that I can convince him.

And what of about the sports directors of the other sports sections?
Regarding the basketball section, I'm an ardent supporter of their management and we must strengthen the model and the work that has been done. Creus [sports director] and Pascual [coach] are doing an excellent job. The other three sections are also doing a good job, but without getting to the level of excellence of the basketball section.

Will the club continue to finance those sections with the money of the football team?
Our policy is to give autonomy to the sections, both regarding sporting and economic decisions. But the level of the competitions makes it necessary for the club to give money so that we can be competitive because our competitors have aides we don't have. I am aware they are of strategic value to the club. We also need to care more about the non-professional sections.

It's easy to criticize Laporta, but can you give us three virtues of Laporta and one weakness of yourself.
To have led and implemented the bases for a necessary change. As far as the results of the first team are concerned, he is the best president ever. Although I'm critical about him using his position for political use, at the start he opted for a catalan identity that was right for the club. The problem is the change from the natural Catalan character of Barça to personal use. You cannot do this. My weakness... More than one. It depends on the candidate to whom you compare me. But it's a fact that I have a lack of fame.

Your project has no weakness?
I have no doubt that it's by far the best. Certainly compared with the continuity candidates. From what I know of that of Rosell, I am sure that it is also a lot better than his.

Give me a strong point of the other candidates and, if you know their plans, also one of their projects.
If Godall ends up being a candidate, there will be club members who will value that he has been part of the board that has had the best results in history. I think Ferrer is a good person and you can see that, he transmits it. The fact that Rosell left so early is his main problem, that he abandoned the club that easily hurt his image.

this was the third and last part of this interview.

Read the previous parts:
Benedito: "Stadium shouldn't be visible from the moon"
Benedito: "Barça should transmit values"

Former vice-president Ingla considering to run

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that former Barcelona marketing and sports vice-president Marc Ingla is considering to run for president in the upcoming elections.

Ingla would over the last months have been working on a candidacy together with former Barcelona economic vice-president Ferran Soriano but now that Soriano has decided not to run for president (read more here), Ingla could take over as number one.

Soriano would have given his approval to this option and Ingla will reportedly make a decion after Easter. Asked if Ingla could take part in the elections, Soriano said in an interview with Catalan television channel TV3 that he doesn't know what Ingla will do but that he certainly has the skills needed.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that people who supported Soriano first asked former Barcelona first vice-president Albert Vicens to head a list, but Vicens would not be very willing to accept the offer. The group of supporters would now in the coming days try to convince Ingla, who is said to be thinking about the situation.

Read more:
The Board Movements (2003-2009)
Soriano could lead united board candidacy
What will the original 2003 board members do?