The Pundit: Enric Baneres on election role Laporta

« The interventionism of Laporta in the appointment of his successor, in the setting up of a continuity candidacy, starts to produce episodes of absurdity and is close to shameless, in addition to highlighting at the most inopportune time another shortcoming of the still president: that his ability to divide is far bigger than his ability to unite. »

Enric Bañeres,
La Vanguardia

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Minguella-Medina project has found candidate

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that the candidacy that is being set up by former Barcelona candidates Josep Maria Minguella [picture] and Jordi Medina will now definitely take part in the elections for president of FC Barcelona later this year.

The candidacy, that earlier contacted journalist Xavier Bosch (read more here) and lawyer Pau Molins (read more here), would now finally have found the person that will head the list. The presidential candidate would in the end be a 40-year old resident of Barcelona.

Minguella and Medina will reportedly officially present their project and the candidate the week after the Real Madrid-Barcelona game on Saturday 10 April. The main ideas of the candidacy will be explained as well as the intention that they won't attack anybody during the campaign.

Josep Maria Minguella, a 68-year old former player's agent who now mainly acts as a Barcelona pundit for a number of radio and television shows, took part in the 2003 elections, when he ended fifth with 1.867 votes (3,62%). The Catalan supported the 2008 vote of no confidence against the board.

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.

Read more:
Minguella project preparing primaries
Majo stepping out of Minguella-Medina project
Minguella-Medina project still looking for a leader

What are the functions of the treasurer?

Article 30, paragraph 2, of the statutes of FC Barcelona says that the club should appoint a treasurer among the board members: "The positions that make up the Board will be, at least and necessarily, those of [...] Treasurer [...]."

Article 30.5 of the club's statutes, entitled 'Functions of the Treasurer', enumerates the tasks of the treasurer of FC Barcelona and reads as follows:

"a) To be responsible for the financial and economic area of the Club and its acts of transfer, to present to the Board of Directors proposals for agreements to be adopted regarding these issues and tp authorise payments by his signature.

b) To take the responsibility for all the Club's accounting books and documents.

c) To monitor the annual budget, providing monthly reports to the Board of Directors and making the appropriate proposals when deviations occur.

d) To prepare the reports for the closing of the financial year and the budget that the Board of Directors must annually submit to the General Assembly, to propose the undertaking of the audits stipulated by the Statutes and to sign, with approval of the President, the final documents regarding these issues that are approved by the Board.

e) To control the movements of funds of the Club and the state of the deposits, and to adapt them to what is noted in the accounting books.

f ) To provide receipts of the fees and other payments made by Club members.

g) All others that are stipulated by these Statutes."

The treasurer is not mentioned further in the statutes, apart from the reference in the first paragraph of article 34, saying that the treasurer should necessarily be part of the club's Delegate Commission, which is a kind of core board (read more here).

Read more:
What are the functions of the president?
Godall and Ferrer no longer part of 'core board'
What is the role of a vice-president?

Ferrer: "The president should give the example"

Barcelona assets vice-president and presidential candidate Jaume Ferrer gave an interview to Catalan online paper El Singular Digital.


Some of the directors who left during the Laporta era have accused the president of distancing himself from the initial project. You share this vision?
The project for Barça has been functioning very well. We have maintained the sports and economic model to great success during those years. But there have been changes in the style and the actions of president Laporta. He has done many positive things, but he has done some things very badly. The latter, though they were few, are the ones who have sticked. I think the next president of Barça should try to not act in an unfortunate way.

But this is a position that carries responsibility and stress. Is it possible not to make any slip?
Yes, and the president should be the first to give the example. We need to find the best relations possible with all types of institutions, with other clubs, as well as a very direct contact with the partner.

You dare to give president Laporta a note?
I'm not good at giving notes but I can say that he will be remembered as one of the greatest presidents of Barça.

Laporta has launced his website and has brought his political career a little closer...
Everyone is responsible for his own decisions. I respect everyone's actions and it is he who must assess when and how he plans his political future. If I was in his situation, I would wait until I'm not the president of Barça anymore.

But you have been one of the most important people in the board. You have never suggested him to leave his political career until after the upcoming elections?
That is irrelevant. He has felt that he should do it the way he has done it. At some occasions, he has done it perfectly, he has defended the values of Barça. Now, however, he is using the club as a tool to enter in politics.

Let's talk about football. There are already people who try to question the team of Guardiola. And every project has to renew itself. This Barça can be improved somehow?
This is the best team in the world, a group made by the technical staff. And it's very clear to us that we will continue to give all our confidence to both the sports director and the coach. It must be them who lead the renewal of this team.

The coach and the sports director will be two of the pillars on which you will base your presidency in case you are elected?
Yes, and besides that, we will keep on investing in the youth academy without sacrificing our spectacular and competitive way of playing. We will have an economic model that keeps going for more internationalization. And as far as specific proposals are concerned, we want to build a new Palau Blaugrana, to reform the Nou Camp and to redevelop the Miniestadi.

The last question, a more personal one. What kind of relationship do you today have with Laporta?
My relationship with Laporta was much closer in 2003 than it is now. I do not know who or what is to blame, but today I feel further away from his way of doing things.

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

Read more:
Ferrer won't accept conditions Laporta
Laporta confirms board support for Ferrer
Ferrer: "We should study shirt sponsorship"

interview: xavier march

Benedito decorates headquarters with logo

The logo of Barcelona presidential candidate Agustí Benedito is since this week visible at his headquarters in the centre of Barcelona.

(more pictures)

The Pundit: Dagoberto Escorcia on election face-offs

« If we could choose a showdown for the presidency of Barcelona, the most attractive one would have been that of Joan Laporta against Sandro Rosell. Given the fact that the current president could not take part, the second major electoral battle would have been that of Sandro Rosell against Ferran Soriano. To our misfortune, none of these face-offs will take place. They were interesting encounters, with enough incentives, full of intrigues and personal grudges. But it won't happen. »

Dagoberto Escorcia,
La Vanguardia

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Weekly Round-Up (17): Man of the hour

Every week an overview of the posts from this blog, written by Xaviniesta, is published on Barcelona news site totalBarca.


Barcelona assets vice-president Jaume Ferrer is the new board continuity candidate, replacing vice-president Alfons Godall, whose candidacy was initially supported and endorsed by Barcelona president Joan Laporta.

In what appears to be the latest fallout from last week’s events, Godall has announced that he is withdrawing as a candidate in the Barcelona presidential elections. Godall,who earlier claimed he would continue with his candidacy, said in his formal statement of withdrawal that the many challenges facing the club needed “new people and new ideas”: “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.”

His statements would have been made in obvious reference to the board’s objection to a unity pact with the group of former Barcelona economic vice-president Ferran Soriano with whom Godall has reportedly held talks in an attempt to put together a unified candidacy.

>>> read the complete weekly round-up here