Ten impertinent questions: Jaume Ferrer

Barcelona presidential candidate Jaume Ferrer gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.


1. You are the figurehead of the Pujol i Ferrusola family?
I'm a personal friend of Josep for thirty years. There's nothing more to it.

2. Did you ask for the resignation of Laporta after the vote of no confidence?
No.

3. Laporta insulted you and threw a bottle at you when he find out you wanted to be a candidate?
We had a discussion during which the tone was raised a bit, like during other discussions we had.

4. The video campaign was a mistake?
It was made by some volunteers, the lyrics were the most important thing of it.

5. Have you been told that they overused photoshop in your campaign photo?
Many times.

6. Was it a mistake to use Laporta's phrase 'Que n'aprenguin' [They can learn from this]?
It's a nice phrase.

7. Does it hurt that they say you were the weakest in the debate on Catalunya Ràdio?
There is a poll that gives me 23% of the voting intentions.

8. Does it hurt that the financial problems of your company became public?
Weekly paper 'El Triangle' did that to damage my image and because they were ordered to.

9. Are you the puppet of Laporta?
Ignore those who say that. It's an electoral strategy.

10. Your phone has been tapped?
I am not aware of that.

Read more:
Ferrer: "Barça is a club that unites"
Rumours about pact Benedito-Ingla-Ferrer
Ferrer wants to personally head social area

interview: toni frieros

Ten impertinent questions: Agusti Benedito

Barcelona presidential candidate Agustí Benedito gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.


1. Did you resign because Joan Laporta didn't appoint you as director?
No, that's something they said to divert attention. The reason is that he tried to do business on a personal level through a customer of the club.

2. How many times did he promise you to be a board member and how many did you ask him?
Never.

3. How did you collect the money for the campaign?
It was funded by all members of the candidacy. Some put in a little more and are going to the bank.

4. What about the rumors about your financial solvency?
If we are able to put down the bank guarantee? We'll fulfil the requirement.

5. What is your profession?
I am involved in some long-term projects. For example, trying to sell and transport water from some glaciers in Patagonia to the Middle East.

6. Do you really think that you can be president of Barça?
We have a chance. I won't say whether it's big or small.

7. How did you cope during those fourteen years behind the scenes when you prefer the spotlight?
Because that's not true, it's what I like less. He who wants to appear on television and in the newspapers wouldn't have waited so long.

8. If you do not win, will you accept an offer from the new board?
I don't think so, no. If we do not win and the circumstances are right, i might take part in the elections of 2016.

9. How many cars did you sell in your life?
More than 30,000.

10. What's that about wanting to be the president of Barça with a beard and no tie?
Beard, half of the candidates have a beard. And tie, I have not worn a tie in years so it's not something I'm now doing just for the campaign.

Read more:
Benedito wants sections to have own president
The first presidential debate
Benedito introduces "associate" and "barcelonista"

interview: juan manuel díaz

Ingla contradicts presumed season-ticket upgrade

Catalan sports paper Sport claimed yesterday that Barcelona presidential candidate Marc Ingla and several key members of his candidacy have tried in 2005 to get an upgrade of the season-tickets of themselves and some family members and that former Barcelona vice-president Albert Vicens had organized the whole upgrade for board members.

After several denials yesterday evening and this morning, when among other things Ingla said at a press conference that he already has the same seat for over fourty years, the candidacy put out a press release with more detailed information.

In the note, it is explained that Vicens was never in charge of any relocation of season-tickets, that Ingla and Alfons Godall still have the same seats as before they joined the board in 2003 and that Vicens and Ferran Soriano changed their seats in 2008 through the normal procedure of relocation that is open to all club members.

Read more:
Ingla: "I will be a very quiet president"
Former vice-president changes Rosell for Ingla
Ingla wants to appoint club ambassadors

Cartoon 40: Ferrer wants to resemble Laporta more

* JANME FERRER
The best club in the world is Catalan. They can learn from it. *

Ferrer:
To compete with Alexandre Rosell, I will have to 'laportazize' a bit more...

...so don't be surprised if you see me with this mask tomorow.


(click the cartoon to enlarge)


by caye

source:
sport

check more election cartoons here

Inter hopes to sign Guardiola after elections

Italian newspaper La Repubblica claims that Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola is the number one candidate to replace José Mourinho as coach of Inter Milan. The Italian club would be postponing the decision on their new manager until after the presidential elections at Barcelona.

Because of a supposed total lack of feeling between presidential candidate Sandro Rosell and Guardiola, Inter reportedly think they have a chance to sign the Catalan coach if Rosell is elected as new president on Sunday 13 June.

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Guardiola wants to meet with the new president on 14 June to learn first hand about the future of the sports area, among other things about who could become the new sports director. Guardiola would continue next season and the signing of a new contract isn't considered to be a problem.

Read more:
Rosell wants Guardiola for six more years
Poll result: Would Guardiola be a good president?
Ferrer: "Guardiola and Begiristian are untouchable"

The final number of signatures of support

These are the final numbers of signatures of club members that were collected by the pre-candidates in the elections for president of FC Barcelona:

Sandro Rosell 13.618
Marc Ingla 4.744
Jaume Ferrer 4.442
Agustí Benedito 2.896
Jaume Guixà 1.845
Alexis Plaza 1.209
Santiago Salvat ?

The signatures of the four pre-candidates with the most support among club members were brought to the club and will be checked in the coming days. To pass the cut of the signatures and to be able to take part in the final vote on 13 June, candidates should have 2.095 validated signatures.

Alexis Plaza didn't present his signatures but brought them to a notary who counted and destroyed them. Jaume Guixà and Santiago Salvat didn't present their signatures eiter. Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Salvat in the end would have collected around 1.100 signatures.

Read more:
Live Coverage: End of signatures process

At least three television debates next week

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that at least three television debates will be held ahead of the elections for president of FC Barcelona on Sunday 13 June, although it is not yet clear if the candidates actually willl take part in all three or if they will be represented by other members of their candidacy.

The three debates that would already be confirmed will be broadcasted by Spanish television channel TVE on Tuesday 8 June, by Catalan television channel 8tv on Thursday 10 June and by Catalan television channel TV3 on Friday 11 June. Only in the last debate the candidates to become president will certainly take part.

A series of other debates could be scheduled by Catalan radio station Catalunya Ràdio on Monday 7 June, by Catalan television channel Barcelona Televisió on Wednesday 9 June and by Spanish radio station Cadena SER on Thursday 10 June.

Read more:
There could be up to six electorals debates

Benedito, Salvat, Guixa and Plaza struggling with signatures

The three main Catalan sports papers agree today that Barcelona presidential candidates Sandro Rosell, Jaume Ferrer and Marc Ingla will certainly pass the cut of the 2.095 signatures that should be delivered tomorrow. Rosell would clearly present the most signatures.

From the other four candidates, Benedito would be the closest to pass the cut although it would be close. The three remaining candidates - Santiago Salvat, Jaume Guixà and Alexis Plaza - would almost certainly not obtain the signatures needed and would have to leave the race.

Read more:
The process of collecting the signatures
How many people will be able to vote?
The electoral proceedings

Cartoon 37: Electoral battle intensifies

* Ingla goes after Rosell, Sandruscu will press charges against Ingla, Laporta slices Alexandre Rosell: if the dirty war doesn't end, the member may in the end not be very motivated to put his vote in the ballot box. *


(click the cartoon to enlarge)


by caye

source:
sport

check more election cartoons here

Benedito accuses paper of burying poll

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claimed yesterday that Barcelona presidential candidate Agustí Benedito had ordered a university poll regarding the upcoming presidential elections that was carried out on Sunday in the surroundings of the Camp Nou.

Of the 1.200 people polled, 54% reportedly didn't yet make their choice about who they will choose for on 13 June. Half of those who already decided, said they would vote for Rosell, 24% for Ferrer and 15% for Ingla. Benedito got 11% of the votes, while Guixà got 1% and Salvat and Plaza were not included.

Benedito confirmed yesterday on a press conference that they indeed had that poll but explained later on Facebook – while linking to the article in El Mundo Deportivo - that it was in fact Catalan sports paper Sport that had asked for the poll but later didn't want to make it public and instead reported on another poll (read more here):

"This is the poll that Sport had ordered with the Ramon Llull university but that they then decided not to publish. They have the right to publish what they want just as I can tell this, right? In this one we have 11%, while in the one they published we have 1,4%. Now I tell you…"

Read more:
Benedito: "Transfer of Villa won't influence vote"
Poll result: Who would you vote for?
The collection of the signatures has started

Poll result: Who would you vote for?

Who would you vote for as president of Barça?

Sandro Rosell 54,8%
Marc Ingla 12,4%
Jaume Ferrer 9,9%
Santiago Salvat 1,6%
Agustí Benedito 1,4%
Alexis Plaza 0,4%
Jaume Guixà 0,3%

Others 1,0%
None 1,3%
Won't vote 2,3%
Don't know/Don't answer 14,9%

total votes: 800
date poll: 16 may 2010
poll method: interviews with club members who have the right to vote by polling agency Gesop in the surroundings of the Camp Nou around the time of the league game against Valladolid

source: el periódico and sport

check more election poll results here

Zubizarreta: "No candidate has contacted me"

Former Barcelona goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.


After seven years in office, your former teammate Txiki Begiristain seems ready to leave the post of sports director, and your name has been mentioned as a possible substitute...
I already learned long ago not to comment on rumours and speculation. Txiki has done a great job, the remarkable results are there to prove that. Everything else will be talked about after the "next game".

The bar is very high, but with your experience at Barça and after having been the general director of Athletic Bilbao you are ready for the challenge...
The bar in a big team like Barça is always high because the expectations are maximum, it's not enough to win, you should also play well. The style is there and that's a small advantage for anyone who takes over. One can only think about how to improve it, but that will be the task of the one who will be in charge.

Has a presidential candidate contacted you?
None told me anything, and I have the feeling that the election campaign has not yet begun, because the sporting results and the close league finish postpone the election issue a bit. There's nothing.

Read more:
Zubizarreta is an option to replace Begiristain
Ex-players Amor and Migueli linked with Rosell
Begiristain proposes Zubizarreta as his successor

Llaurado will not run for president

Catalan sports paper Sport reports that former Barcelona vice-president Jaume Llauradó, who yesterday assisted the meeting of Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell, has released a note in which he announces that he will not take part in the upcoming elections for president of FC Barcelona because of personal reasons.

Jaume Llauradó was a pre-candidate in the elections of 1997 and 2000, when he ended up joining the candidacy of the later president Joan Gaspart, in whose board Llauradó was a vice-president from 2000 until he resigned after one year because he didn't agree with the way the club was governed.

In 2003, he was a presidential candidate but finished 6th and last in the elections won by Joan Laporta. He obtained 987 votes (1,91%), which was considerably lower than the number of signatures he had been able to collect. Llauradó is also the president of FC Barcelona think tank Fòrum Samitier.

Read more:
Llaurado close to renouncing his candidacy
Possible candidate Llaurado buys football club
Llaurado to announce candidacy at last minute

Godall: "Rosell has similarities with Florentino"

Barcelona first vice-president Alfons Godall gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.

translation: jacob coronado

You have distanced yourself from te club but you didn't quit the vice-presidency.
Following the situation that was created on 22 March I was looking for my spot, electorally but also on a personal level and as a director. I let the president know through Cubells [board secretary] and Oliver [chief executive] that I didn't have the motivation to continue and that I would resign if he though that was appropriate.

Why did you not resign yourself?
Because the end of the current mandate is in a matter of weeks and the teams are playing for titles. A unilateral resignation would not have been good for the board, the environment, nor anyone else.

How did the dissolution of you +Barça project occur?
Joan Laporta's support for the project seemed great, I thought it could help. But I've always felt that a candidate must have the freedom to choose his colleagues and to me, it was crucial to reach an agreement with Soriano and his people.

This was the key point in losing the support of the President on 22 March?
Everything went very quickly. Laporta gave great importance to the fact that I assured him I would be the number one and that I would count on many of the current directors. For me, the project itself was more important that my actual role. I do not believe in the continuism, but more in the experience of the people who know the club and have participated in building the project since 2003. He did not share my point of view and decided to withdraw his support and give it to Jaume Ferrer.

How do you value that decision?
I respect it but I believe that he wants to be too involved in the electoral process. They are not Laporta's elections but post-Laporta. There is also the question of formality. The decision could have been taken in another fashion without the sudden action which hurt me a lot because we have a strong relationship and friendship.

And then there is the proposal of Ingla...
That same week, Soriano also abandoned the idea of being a candidate due to his commitments to Spanair. I was concerned and disappointed and I think Ferran was too. We spent two weeks sending text messages, and one day we decided we had to do something. We thought we had a good project for the club. Marc [Ingla] had already proposed to be a candidate and we decided to take the plunge.

What is the basis of your new project?
We see that there is a clear space between the continuism imposed by the current president and the change of Rosell which from our point of view is not appropriate if there is a model that currently works very well. The idea is to recover four of the architects of the first project of 2003 and who have been vice-presidents doing a good job in the economic, sporting, social, and institutional area and leaving the media attention to the players.

What are the differences with respect to Jaume Ferrer?
More than in the program, in the project itself. I've always had a reservation about the project of Jaume. There are different stimuli or engines that make me think that it is not consistent. He has a personal and professional environment that may detract the independence necessary to decide whether he will be eligible in the end or not. I am speaking specifically of the links with the Pujol Ferrusola family, for which he works. Also the role of Alejandro Echevarría, I know that he has a big role in the candidacy on the motivational, strategic and logistical level. And the role of some directors who were afraid to stay out and thought they wouldn't have a role in any candidacy.

What about Rosell?
It's true that we need a certain change regarding the forms. But what Rosell preaches is very extreme, and comes in part from resentment or revenge. It is essential to maintain the sporting model with a sport director and a coach and if possible those should be Txiki and Pep. We want to respect our commitment to the style of play, based on our youth academy, and that contrasts with that of Rosell who has a sports philosophy that is more result-based, changeable according to the coach of the moment and the results. In that sense, his model has more similarities with that of Florentino Pérez.

Read more:
Godall: "It's a team project against ego projects"
The Pic: Four (former) vice-presidents
Ingla: "We are the real continuity candidacy"

Casino entrepreneur linked with Ferrer candidacy

Catalan sports paper Sport claimed earlier this year that Catalan lawyer and businessman Miquel Suqué could be part of the board team of Barcelona assets vice-president and presidential candidate Jaume Ferrer.

Miquel Suqué is the 48-year old executive vice-president of the Peralada group, that is most known for being the owner of six casinos in Catalonia and Argentina but that is among other things also active in the hotel sector, real estate and wine production.

In the 1997 elections, Miquel Suqué supported the candidacy of then Barcelona president Josep Lluís Núñez and joined the board in July of that year. When Joan Gaspart was elected as president in 2000, Suqué became an assistant-director.

In June and July of 2005, Suqué was rumoured to be among the candidates to become part of the Barcelona board after five directors, among which sports vice-president Sandro Rosell, left the club at the end of the season.

Read more:
Ferrer: "Guardiola and Begiristian are untouchable"
Ingla talking with son of former vice-president
Ferrer gets new support from board members

Former Ingla-Soriano colleague part of candidacy

As already reported earlier this week by Catalan sports paper Sport, Catalan businessman Víctor Font [picture, on the left] will be part of the candidacy of former Barcelona marketing and sports vice-president Marc Ingla who will run for president of FC Barcelona in the upcoming elections.

Víctor Font is the 37-year old co-founder and managing partner of advisory and investment firm Delta Partners that is specialised in telecommmunications, media and technology. Font, who is currently based in Dubai, worked before at consultancy firm DiamondCluster (now Oliver Wyman), together with Marc Ingla and Ferran Soriano.

Read more:
Ingla reveals campaign posters
Godall and Soriano will be vice-presidents Ingla
Ingla talking with son of former vice-president

Rosell leading in university poll

Catalan sports paper Sport reports that the faculty of communications of the Blanquera university centre has carried out an enquiry regarding the upcoming presidential elections among 400 Barcelona club members in the surroundings of the Camp Nou ahead of the league game against Tenerife on Tuesday.

With 46% of the members not yet having decided on their vote, 65% of the rest said they would vote for Sandro Rosell, 29% for Jaume Ferrer, 3% for Agustí Benedito and 2% for Jaume Guixà. The name of Marc Ingla was not yet included among the options because he only officially presented his candidacy yesterday.

Other data received from the poll indicate that 77% of the club members think that Sandro Rosell will win the elections (22% thinks Ferrer will win), that 89% of the club members wants to go and vote on 13 June and that 40% would vote for current Barcelona president Joan Laporta if he would be able to run again.

Read more:
Poll result: Who would you vote for?
Candidacies carrying out polls
Poll Voting Intentions: Two Months Before

Daughter of Stoichkov joins Plaza candidacy

Catalan sports paper Sport reports that Mikaela Stoichkov [picture, on the right], the daughter of former Barcelona player Hristo Stoichkov, has joined the candidacy of Barcelona presidential candidate Alexis Plaza ahead of the elections that will be held on Sunday 13 June.

Mikaela "Mika" Stoichkov, who knows Alexis Plaza for years, has a sports management degree and is now studying advertising and public relations in Barcelona. She also has her own management and consultancy services company M.S. Management that provides personal assistance services to VIPs related to the world of sports.

Hristo Stoichkov (44) joined Barcelona in the summer of 1990, from CSKA Sofia. Five years later, the Bulgarian striker moved to Italian club Parma but came back the next season. In 1998, he returned to CSKA Sofia. After his retirement, Stoichkov started a coaching career. Last March, he resigned as the manager of South-African club Mamelodi Sundowns.

Read more:
Salvat talking with ex-players Stoichkov and Ferrer
Plaza: "Young people are tired of fake promises"
Will former super-agent run for president?

When will Rosell, Ferrer, Ingla and Salvat appear?

Barcelona presidential candidates Santiago Salvat, Jaume Ferrer and Marc Ingla are expected to present their projects in the coming days. Sandro Rosell would wait some more.


Salvat
Catalan businessman Santiago Salvat [picture] will present his candidacy tomorrow at 1 pm at the Olympic and Sports Museum in Barcelona.

Ferrer
Barcelona assets vice-president Jaume Ferrer will on Wednesday present his website, his campaign seat and his first slogan.

Ingla
Former Barcelona marketing and sports vice-president Marc Ingla will present his project and his campaign in the middle of next week.

Rosell
Former Barcelona sports vice-president Sandro Rosell had planned to present his project at his campaign seat on Wednesday 12 May in case Barcelona would have qualified for the Champions league final. The presentation could now be postponed until after the last league game.

Read more:
Salvat presents basic ideas of election program
Ingla preparing his election campaign
Plaza wants shirt sponsor and internet voting

sources: sport, efe, mundo deportivo

The Slogan: Marc Ingla

"More Barça than Ever"


'Més Barça que Mai' would become the main campaign slogan that will be used by Barcelona presidential candidate Marc Ingla ahead of the elections in June

read more election quotes here