Saturday, January 16, 2010

No deal after new Godall-Ferrer negotiations

The three main Catalan sports papers agree today that new talks over the past week between Barcelona vice-presidents Alfons Godall and Jaume Ferrer didn't lead to any result so far and that an agreement is at this moment very unlikely.

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Godall and Ferrer met on Thursday in the club offices, in the presence of vice-president Joan Boix and chief executive Joan Oliver (read more here). Vice-presidents Boix and Rafael Yuste would on Wednesday have held long talks with Godall trying to convince the first vice-president of taking a more flexible position.

Sources close to Ferrer would have told the paper that the assets vice-president hasn't put any conditions on the table during the last meeting, not even the exit of Oliver or Barcelona treasurer Xavier Sala i Martín, as was suggested by some media.

Godall, who reportedly recently told Barcelona president Joan Laporta that he's not yet totally convinced of wanting to go on with his candidacy given all the difficulties, would on the other hand have repeated that he doesn't want Barcelona directors Perrín, Borràs and Colomer to join his project.

A new meeting between Ferrer and Godall wouldn't be planned at this moment and could only happen if common friends force another gathering. For now, the two vice-presidents would be preparing the elections with an own team and would already have arranged their headquarters.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that both Ferrer and Godall each keep on wanting to head a candidacy in the next elections. Ferrer would only want to join a united board candidacy if he can lead it and has the total freedom to appoint directors. People close to Godall are reported as saying that the first vice-president could in the end not participate in the elections.

Catalan sports paper El 9 Esportiu claims that a meeting on Thursday only confirmed the differences between the two vice-presidents. Godall wouldn't want to include the three above-mentioned directors in his team, while Ferrer would want Barcelona chief executive Joan Oliver to leave the club.

The two also wouldn't totally agree on the club model for the coming years. While Godall would just want to continue with the current model that gives all the power to the club executives, Ferrer would want to have more control on the decision process.

It has been confirmed to this blog that both Ferrer and Godall will meet separately with delegates of Barcelona's fan clubs this weekend - Ferrer later today and Godall tomorrow - to explain them their plans ahead of the elections. The assets vice-president yesterday also started using his "Jaume Ferrer 2010" account on microblogging service Twitter.

Read more:
Ferrer could lead single board candidacy
Laporta calls on Ferrer and Godall to join forces
Treasurer Sala invites Ferrer to join Godall group