Saturday, January 23, 2010

A first look at the project of Ferrer

During the past week, Barcelona assets vice-president Jaume Ferrer talked about the upcoming elections and his own run for the presidency in interviews with Catalan radio stations Ona FM and RAC 1. Some excerpts.


His club model
The current model should stay in place but should be renewed. This should happen by allowing the professionals to work while the board stays more in the background. The board of directors should take the decisions but that should happen in a discreet way.

In the economic and sporting areas, we should basically continue with the project we have now. In the social area on the other hand, there's a lot of work to do. The members should feel the club is theirs.


Sports director
The model of having a sports director and a coach has worked well over the past years and I think it's the best model for FC Barcelona at this moment and that it should be continued. Giving the coach more powers isn't and has never been the model of FC Barcelona.

I would be very happy if Txiki Begiristain could continue since he has been a key figure. And if he doesn't, it should be someone with the same profile. I don't think it's right to talk already about possible successors, also because the first thing I will do is trying to convince Txiki to stay.


Role of the sports vice-president
The board of directors should be very discreet at this moment. The focus should be on the players and the coaches, who are the ones who play and win the games. The director who's responsible for the first team should therefore play a role of go-between between the board and the professionals in the sports area.

Possible collaboration with Sandro Rosell
I know very little of the project of Sandro Rosell because he didn't yet explain anything, so I don't know if we share certain points. What I do know is that we have been board colleagues during a certain time. We had a good relationship and if he'll present his program, we'll see.

But it's clear to me what my program will be and now that we have come this far, we want to go on until the end and not make deals with anyone. I sure don't have bad feelings towards him about what happened in the past. I think one should be able to forget.

I think it's good he's a candidate in the elections, I will also be one and others will too. He's leading in the polls now, but the only valid polls are on the day of the elections. I think it's good that the club members will have a choice and will be able to say which candidate convinces them the most.

Franquesa
I've always had, and still have, a very good relationship with him and the doors will always be open for him.

Transfer rumours during the campaign
I think all the presidential candidates should try not to talk about football players. It would be wrong to do that. Of couse the club cannot stop and the next season should be prepared and I guess Pep Guardiola and the staff will want to sign some player or change something about the squad. But it's the current sports director who should work on that.

Chat session on Twitter
We'll look at that option. I've also opened a Twitter account but I haven't yet thought about a chat like Rosell has done. We'll see how things went for him and maybe we'll also consider doing it.

Soriano
I would like him to take part in the elections, with an own project. it would be good to confront our ideas, although I don't veto him.

Camp Nou
The stadium needs to be remodelled, but we first should solve our problems with the city council. It's also clear to me that this remodelling should focus on what the club really needs. Therefore we might have to reconsider the Foster project.

Read more:
Ferrer thinks one board candidacy is unlikely
Former vice-president Franquesa to join Ferrer
No deal after new Godall-Ferrer negotiations