The Quotes: Salvat, Ferrer, Ingla, Rosell, Laporta

"We will reduce the price of the season-tickets by 40%."

Santiago Salvat


"Now is the time when the club members are starting to get interested in the candidates and their program."

Jaume Ferrer


"With more than 400 million fans worldwide, Barça is a global feeling."

Marc Ingla


"I'm not against the collective sale of the television right, but only in case it doesn't harm us."

Sandro Rosell


"Sandro Rosell will put in danger the current sports model."

Joan Laporta

read more election quotes here

[picture] Jaume Guixa on patrol

Barcelona presidential candidate Jaume Guixà uses a couple of these cars to collect the signatures of the club members.

There could be up to six electorals debates

Catalan sports paper El 9 Esportiu claims that six radio stations and television channels want to organize a presidential debate ahead of the elections on Sunday 13 June. All of them would want a debate between the actual candidates although some might agree with a debate between the numbers two of each candidacy.

The majority of the candidates would be very willing to take part in the debates, especially Marc Ingla, Jaume Ferrer and Agustí Benedito. Sandro Rosell would on the other hand be reluctant of confirming his presence and has so far only given his approval to the final debate that will be organized by Catalan television channel TV3 on Friday 11 June.

Read more:
Rosell: "Guardiola represents our core values"
Ferrer: "What is working should not be touched"
Ingla: "Barça should be reference of 21st century"

Rosell: "We can't afford to relax now"

Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell gave an interview to Catalan newspaper El Periódico.

translation: archie valparaiso

In the poll published by El Periódico, you achieved a voting-intention figure of 54.8%. What’s your reaction to that?
It's always nice to see that people trust in you and your programme. But you can't afford to relax in the slightest. We've been working for quite some time on creating a solid, rigorous, credible option for running Barça. And with barely three weeks to go, we're not going to let up now.

What's your strategy going to be from now on?
We've drawn up our route map and we're not going to stray from it, however much the opinion polls may be in our favour. As a great painter, Picasso, once said: inspiration exists but it's best if it catches you when you're working. Or, what amounts to the same thing: dreams do exist, but its best if they catch you when you're wide awake.

The ballot papers feature someone called Alexandre Rosell. Is that the same person as Sandro?
Yes, I was very surprised to see that. I'd asked for them to use the name that everyone has always used for me - my mother, my daughters, my father, my friends - which is Sandro Rosell i Feliu. I've always been called that, but "Alexandre" is what it says on my birth certificate. I was surprised, because when I was vice-chairman "Sandro" was what they used on the club's website and the visiting cards they had made for me. I don't know what’s behind it all, but...

Are you worried about any other complications of any kind?
We've all been denied access to the list of voters and only been given the membership numbers without the members' names. We'd like to think that there won't be any funny business, that the president and the electoral board will stay neutral, but things like this are a cause for some concern.

What did you think about Guardiola, in his first message after winning the league, giving his thanks to Laporta?
Soon he's going to be a former president, and it's fine for Guardiola to have made that reference. I really mean that; there's no hidden message.

With team issues no longer in the way, do you expect the electoral campaign to get tougher?
Not from our side, no. Since we started, everyone except Plaza and Guixà have criticised us, saying all sorts of things about us. We're going to carry on in our own way, explaining our programme without bad-mouthing anybody.

Those who have criticised you most are your former fellow directors. Did you really leave such a bad taste in their mouths?
That's true. Ingla, Godall, Vicens and also, to a slightly extent, Ferrer. I don't know why they're doing it. I'm not going to criticise them.

You changed Laporta's "Cruyff, Catalonia, Unicef" to "Members, Catalonia, Solidarity and Youth System"? Is Cruyff the only difference?
No, I wouldn't say that. We're fully aware that that the members are the club's owners and have noticed that they haven't been treated as such, but rather as customers. That's the situation as far as the business model is concerned. Financially, we'll review the actual position, and work to cover the debt without selling off assets. We won’t be going ahead with the Foster [new Camp Nou stadium] project, because we've got another one. Then there's the youth system. We need to do the job that used to be done fifteen years ago by people like Oriol Tort and Rexach, who signed Messi, with the result that seven of the eleven players who won the league title for us have come up through the ranks. We're concerned to ensure that this is really being done, because we'll see the results in fifteen years' time.

You're questioning the work that's being done with the youth players even though it seems to be one of the cornerstones of Barça's current success?
What I'm saying is that we need to review what's being done because it'll be fifteen years before we see its fruits. If there's so much interest, if they keep going on about the youth system, why has the hall of residence been a skeleton for so many years without any progress being made? The young lads are still sleeping in dormitory huts or rented apartments. The completion of those works was budgeted for, but instead of that they've spent 18 million euros on some land in Viladecans that's a swamp.

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

Read more:
Rosell: "Barça is not only about goals and titles"
"Sandro Rosell" not on support slips
Rosell wants to regulate new members

interview: david torras - joan domènech

The Quotes: Soriano, Perrin, Salvat, Rosell, Ferrer

"A youth player who arrives at the first team has cost us 2 to 3 million euros."

Ferran Soriano


"Sandro Rosell is a balloon that is deflating."

Albert Perrín


"We will pass the cut. We have already around 1.300 signatures."

Santiago Salvat


"The figure of an honorary president doesn't exist in the club statutes. So the members will first have to decide if they want this and then if they want Johan Cruyff."

Sandro Rosell


"Our campaign will cost around 1 million euros."

Jaume Ferrer

read more election quotes here

Salvat: "The member will know everything"

Barcelona presidential candidate Santiago Salvat gave an interview to Catalan online paper El Singular Digital.


More and more people seem to claim the label of "alternative candidate"...
We are the only truly new candidacy. All other projects have already been linked to electoral processes or to the board of directors. They already had their moment, now it's our turn, we have a new team, enthusiasm, with people who are prepared and who bring renewal to the club.

But people like Josep Maria Minguella Josep and Jordi Medina are part of your project. Both have already tried before to become the president of Barça...
They have tried it, they realize that everything has stayed the same and this time they want to offer their experience to a young and new project and therefore, they have set a step back. People do not see me as the candidate of Minguella and he has already begun working for us.

As far as the sports area is concerend, Barça is going through one of the best moments of its history. It seems strange to talk about change...
The sporting successes are not the responsibility of the president or the board, but of the professionals who have made this possible. We are the alternative regarding the institutional representation and have a way of doing things based on transparency. One of our slogans is: "The member will know everything".

But Guardiola was appointed by the board of Laporta, no?
That is a lie. Laporta did not want Guardiola. He refused the option en Marc Ingla then went to see Mourinho and when he said no, they decided to count on Guardiola. This was their last card left and they thought that if the results wouldn't be good, the member would not act, because Pep is a club icon.

However, the titles will be one of the main arguments put on the table by the continuity candidate to convince the member.
If we reach the presidency and Barça wins a Champions League, I do not want people to say that Santiago Salvat has won a Champions League. It will have been the players and the coaches who have done it. We want to give all the facilities to the coaches. I think I will have a good relationship with Guardiola and Xavi Pascual [coach of the basketball team].

There has been talk of a "center" candidacy. That's a vague concept...
The third way, our way, is a way between two extremes. The continuism and Sandro Rosell, who we call "pseudo-continuism".

Then there are those who point at a big pact of all candidates against Rosell...
All candidates against Rosell will be impossible because we won't be part of that. We won't go against anyone, the others are already doing that. Laporta, Rosell Ferrer or Ingla are already talking about a dirty campaign and we will not get involved in that fight. I'm sure there will be pacts and the ones who could most benefit from this are Ingla and Ferrer.

In the case we really end up with those two blocks, your chances of becoming the president would get complicated?
No, quite the opposite. The positions of each one would get more extreme, they would become more radical and it would become clear they want to get in power no matter what. A pact with us would be impossible because we would force them to accept a series of criteria related to transparency that they would not accept because they have a past at the club.

this was the first part of this interview. you will be able to read the second part in the coming days.

Read more:
Salvat officially presents his candidacy
[picture] The kiss of Santiago Salvat
Son Camp Nou architect could lead remodelling

interview: xavier march

[picture] Jaume Ferrer and David Villa

Barcelona assets vice-president and presidential candidate Jaume Ferrer [picture, on the left] assisted on Friday the presentation of new Barcelona player David Villa.