Iniesta prefers elections at the end of the season

Asked about the upcoming presidential elections, Barcelona player Andrés Iniesta has said in an interview with Catalan television channel TV3 that he prefers that the vote would take place after the end of the season:

"The ideal thing would be that everyone who will take part in the elections behaves in an appropriate way and that everyone does his job with respect, but if I have to give my point of view I would prefer them to be held at the end of season to not distract the team.

Everyone will be talking and giving opinions and so it's better that the season is over by then. But if that's not the case, we’ll try to let it not affect us."

Read more:
Iniesta and Xavi on the elections
Guardiola not worried about elections
Puyol: "Players will stay out of the elections"

Position vice-president Joan Boix remains unclear

The Catalan press is still having doubts on what the role of Barcelona economic vice-president Joan Boix will be in the upcoming elections for president of FC Barcelona later this year.

Boix was generally believed to be one of the main supporters of a united board candidacy and it's not clear what he will do now that it has become almost certain that Barcelona vice-presidents Alfons Godall and Jaume Ferrer will separately run for president.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Boix supported Ferrer before the latter was vetoed as board candidate by Barcelona president Joan Laporta. Boix would now be seriousy considering not to join either of his colleagues, although the more flexible opinions of Ferrer over the past weeks could make him decide to support the assets vice-president.

Catalan weekly paper El Triangle claims that Boix will support Godall, Catalan sports paper El 9 Esportiu says that it's possible Boix won't take part in the elections at all and Catalan sports paper Sport isn't able to take a stand.

Things could become clear tonight at 7 pm local time, when first vice-president Godall will officially present his candidacy in Barcelona. Sport nevertheless claims that Boix could maintain the doubts by attending the press conference as a mere listener in an act of courtesy towards his board colleague.

Read more:
The five vice-presidents of Godall
Directors considering to leave the club
Boix could be the consensus board candidate

Poll result: Begiristain has to stay?

Should Txiki Begiristain continue as sports director after the elections?

Yes 44%
No 56%

total votes: 9329
start date poll: 21 january 2010
poll method: internet, free participation
source: el mundo deportivo

check more election poll results here

Most read of the week

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


out of competition
Live Coverage: Twitter chat session Sandro Rosell

1.
Brother Rosell member of his campaign team

2.
Guixa won't make transfer promises

3.
Rosell gives first interview ahead of elections

Slogan and logo Godall candidacy revealed

This blog can exclusively report that the slogan of the candidacy of Barcelona first vice-president Alfons Godall, who will on Monday officially announce that he will take part in the elections for president of FC Barcelona (read more here), will be "+Barça", which stands for "More Barça".

A Facebook group under that name has earlier today been created and it has been confirmed to this blog that the slogan and the above-pictured logo will be used by Barcelona director Godall in his run for the presidency of the club.

The extended version of the campaign slogan will be "More team, more successes, more country, more emotions, more fan clubs, more global, more sections, more youth, more club members, more solidarity, more Barça".

Read more:
Godall to announce candidacy on Monday
Laporta gives up hope for one board candidacy
Godall waiting for poll to announce candidacy

Rosell plans embassador for foreign fan clubs

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claimed last week that Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell wants to create a new function within the social area of the club. José Maria Barnils (picture) would become the club's "Penyes' embassador" and would be the link between FC Barcelona and the fan clubs abroad.

Barnils confirmed the news in an interview with Barcelona opposition site Pelikano: "A while ago, during one of my trips to Barcelona, my friend Jordi Cardoner told me about the plans they had regarding the internationalization of Barça, which included encouraging the foreign fan clubs, club members and supporters.

Since I have lived abroad for over 20 years and I know the concerns and the problems foreign Barça fans can face, Jordi Cardoner asked me to work on the subject. It seemed an interesting and original project and that's why I gladly accepted his proposal.

If Sandro Rosell is elected president, I would become a member of the club's social commission as the 'correspondent' abroad with the function of being the contact person for the foreign fan clubs, their representative and all foreign club members and fans. I will help to promote the Barça brand abroad."

José Maria Barnils is a 45-year old Catalan lawyer, specialized in company law, who is living in Denmark for more than twenty years. His father, Carlos Barnils, was in the 1960s and 1970s the editor of 'Barça' and 'R.B.', two magazines that focused on FC Barcelona.

Read more:
Brother Rosell member of his campaign team
Rosell gives first interview ahead of elections
Team member Rosell talking about their project

Francesc Mane will run for president

Speaking at a press conference in a hotel in Barcelona, Francesc Mañé, the president of a Barcelona fans' club, has yesterday announced that he will take part in the elections for president of FC Barcelona later this year (read more here).

Spanish news agency EFE reports that the project of Mañé targets the fans' clubs and that he will campaign with the slogan "Per al soci de peu" ("For the small club member"). One of the key points of his program is to cancel the position of sports director and to give all sporting powers to the coach.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo adds some other proposals of Mañé: building a retirement home and a sports area - that would be free to use for the club members - on the grounds of the Miniestadi if those are reclassified, the creation of members' commissions that have direct contact with the board, significant discounts at the Barça shops and not raising the season tickets for two years.

The candidate admits that it won't be easy to be able to participate in the final vote but he's nevertheless confident: "I didn't go mad. I know it will be difficult to collect the signatures needed, but I can obtain them. The club member will have the final word."

Francesc Mañé has over the last years been very active in the world of Barcelona's fans' clubs. He is the president of Barcelona fans' club Som-hi and the former president of Barcelona fans' club Paral·lel.

Read more:
Former coach Rexach will not run for president
Llaurado confirms that he will run
Former penya president to announce candidacy