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.
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Rosell gives first interview ahead of elections
Team member Rosell talking about their project