FC Barcelona played Real Sociedad this week in the liga, and it was just another amazing show of football and magic. The happiest person on earth was no doubt Barca's president Sandro Rosell, as its this team and those players are the reason why the majority of members are too lazy (and excited) to ask serious questions or voice complains. Ironically, we are talking about a squad structured by the same people the current president revolted to sack, when he was the Vice of the previous President Juan Laporta.
Still, it is not easy to hide an elephant having a "Musth" inside the room. Sponsorship agreement with Qatar foundation is not a walk in the park. This is a milestone in the club's history where there will be a BA (before agreement) and AA (after agreement) calender to record the the club's records.
Defending Rosell, Guardiola, and Qatar
Lets start by defending Sandro Rosell. The rants that doubt his loyalty to the club are nonsense. He is not an evil undercover madridista whose mission is damaging Barcelona, as some angry Barcelona fans stated in the past few days. Sandro Rosell is as loyal to Barcelona as anyone can be, and more. He -and his board- are doing what they believe it is the best for the club. Thats where we may disagree with him (them). Yet, there are no doubts about the intentions.
In the other hand, this agreement has nothing to do with Pep Guardiola. He supported Qatar bid for the world cup for many reasons (Money is one of the reasons, as a professional figure). But that has nothing to do with Barcelona's agreement with Qatar foundation. Pep was an automatic choice for Qatar to promote them in the world cup bid even before the new board inherited Barcelona's management. In fact, Sandro Rosell has more contacts and cross roads with Qatar than Pep, so neither he needs Pep nor the Qatari needs the coach to cook or suggest this sponsorship agreement.
I will not re-defend Qatar and the Qatari toward those who consider it a shame to sign an agreement with such a Bla bla bla country, as I already stated my opinion about this in a previous post. It won't make any difference for me if this deal was with a foundation in Qatar or the Vatican. Thats not the point. At all.
Dealing with the deal
First thing first, lets make one thing clear: This is a commercial deal. A Business, only a business and nothing but a business. Lets put the "Charity" smoke bombs aside so we don't feel guilty whipping the hell out of the agreement. Selling a car to red cross will not make you Mother Tereza. Thats S.E.L.L.I.N.G, and you count your money before you hand the car. In fact, it was better to make a deal with a commercial company than taking hundreds of millions supposed to be invested in good cases. Unless if by Charity we mean that Qatar foundation paid 170 M as a charity to Barcelona, there is no other way to make the statement more valid.
If we agree that this is just "business is business baby!" , we have to see it from a business perspective. I am aware of all the emotional factors involved. All the pride. And there were lot of eloquent posts on different blogs who wrote about this side better than I can ever do. But here is a board of directors telling you "Romance feed no hunger, softy! Grow up!" . So...Was this business deal an Edsel or an IPod?
The first factor to consider is the need. The validity of any deal depends on the alternatives available and the urgency driving one party to make a deal with the other. Was it an unavoidable need for Barcelona to seal the deal?
It is impossible to know the real figures concerning Barcelona's financial situation. Some may like to believe the previous board budget, others consider this board's budget the reliable one and the majority are probably on the fence and can barely take any budget seriously (count me in). Accounting is not the science of stating the facts but the method of perfecting the books to meet specific objectives and already decided numbers. Deloitte or no-Deloitte, it is the client who dictate the results of any budget and the accounting auditing role is to skew the accounting process to meet the client's numbers. Dont tell my taxes vampire I said that.
It is even more confusing to get anything out of the current board's statements. The previous board of directors lied. No doubt about that regardless how far they went in that direction. But they were good lairs and were able to create a good story. One story. The current board failed to meet the basic requirement of creating a story, and that is being consistent. One day Barcelona sells Chegrinskiy because there is a need to pay salaries - the board states. The other day we discover that Barcelona's transfer budget is 50 M plus the transfer returns of Yaya and Chegrnskiy -The board states. Then afterward the board end up sorting out the transfer budget to 50 M. Just that. Its a kind of "Dissociative identity disorder" management with lot of acrobatic accounting and Executive functioning.
Then a Sponsor deal with Qatar foundation take place. To start with numbers, Barcelona shirt sponsorship is: 5 years at €30m, commercial rights fee €15m, performance bonuses €5m. But there is one additional condition that went unnoticed in the chaos of the agreement. Barcelona will play a friendly every year in Qatar or anywhere in Europe (Qatar foundation decides). Thats also a significant part of the deal and will have an impact on the numbers, and the nature of the agreement.
During preseason, clubs have limited number of opportunities to play friendlies. Friendly matches earn Barcelona couple of millions . Friendly matches are also important to promote clubs, get them closer to their fans across the globe and increase merchandise return. In brief: Friendly=money. For the following five years, one of Barcelona friendlies will be handed to Qatar foundation. In brief: Thats a loss of money.
In the other hand, friendlies are important to expand clubs' awareness and commertial presence in promising markets from the business perspective. Looking forward to the following five years with the global economic forecasting map on the table, anyone really think Europe will be the best market for Barcelona to focus on in the following years? So while Real Madrid, Inter, and Manchester United for example are working on expanding their commercial presence between USA, Japan, China, and Saudi Arabia in the following five years, Barcelona will spend five years bouncing between Europe and Qatar. How far will friendlies in Europe increase merchandise selling (compared to existing growth rate) for the following five years? What about other markets including USA or East Asia to name some destinations? Of course Barcelona can go to USA beside playing friendlies in Qatar during preseason. I am sure Pep quardiola will be so exited to spend the preseason jumping from one plane to another. Will a friendly in a bad timing cancel a preseason tour? Isn't that also another financial loss?
Talking about Pep Guardiola, if Qatar Foundation will decide where to send Barcelona for the friendlies, isn't it safe to say they at least have the upper hand in deciding the friendly date? How does it sound that Pep will have to customize his preparations for the following seasons based on Qatar foundation agenda? Is it even appropriate that in the following five years Qatar foundation will send Barcelona to play in the country (club) that pay the highest price?
How far all this complexity affect the club preparations and moral in the following seasons? Between the money lost from playing a friendly for free, and the impact of this five seasons plan on merchandise and commercial strategies, It is too conservative to estimate the loss in the range of two millions per year. Thats why instead of 30 M per year from the sponsorship agreement, Barcelona will barely get 28 Million (while the other two are considered as compensation for the friendlies).
Now lets not forget that this is the first main Sponsorship deal in 111 years of Barcelona's history. That's a leverage to tempt the best sponsorship deal ever. Is it true that 28 M is a huge opportunity that is too good to waste? I am aware there are variables in the agreement, but compare it to Liverpool's new sponsorship deal where they will earn 24 Millions annually for the following four years. I do respect Liverpool and once they had three times the commercial value of Barcelona. Now? Thats not the case. I can safely say that if Liverpool can sign an agreement for 24 Millions, then Barcelona must not even consider an agreement that goes under 35 Millions per year plus variables, and without friendlies. And I am not even considering such an offer as too tempting to reject.
But then again, what if Barcelona really RRRReally need the cash Qatar foundation offered? What if there were no other options? Thats reasonable. Yet, Rosell and Co management antiques cause you a mental breakdown if you try to track. I was probably alone demanding that Barcelona must sign Mascherano. Though, not for any cost. In a perfect world, Mascherano is a great signing for Barcelona. In a crisis situation, his transfer was no doubt avoidable. If Xavi can play a zillion match per season though having an injured foot, Busquets -a younger player- can do so as well. If a back up needed, keep Marquez. Sign Senna. Or even use Pique as a holding midfielder when Busquets is not available. None of them will fail to serve the matches Mascherano played so far.
Then Barcelona signed Maxwell's identical. Again, in a perfect world, Adriano is a good utility player. But for a team in crisis he is simply a waste of unavailable money. Puyol can play as a right back if needed. Maxwell can. Pique can, and a bunch of youth are also waiting their turn. If this is a club owned by the fans, Rosell should have asked the members if they prefer a sponsorship agreement plus the transfers of Mascherano and Adriano or no sponsorship and no players. I am sure you will not find such a poll on Sports website anytime soon.
Mascherano and Adriano transfers will cost the club between 70 and 80 Millions in the following five years. We are still not talking about Afellay's transfer, considering that it is a good bargain. And dont let me start predicting how much Cesc would have cost the club in the following five years if Arsenal accepted selling him-even for the 40 Millions Barcelona offered- something in the orbit of 75 millions?
If the club needed this sponsorship deal after the mentioned signings, then we can conclude that -avoiding the unnecessary transfers- the club lack less than a hundred million for the following five years to recover. That's if we assume the sponsorship deal worth 170 M, which is not accurate, first because of the friendlies compensation and secondly because not all the variable amounts will be certainly achieved. One hundred millions in five years mean 20 millions per year. Now it is time to have a look at the club's accounting books for 2009/2010.
Based on the new board 's Auditing, the club generated a revenue of 408.9 millions last year. Mind you, we are talking about the revenue generated by the worst board in the club's history as the current board repeatedly remind us. If the current -better- board succeed to increase the revenue 5 % next year, thats 20.5 Millions, and increasing. But lets not get too ambitious as it is probably hard to increase revenues by 5 % next year. If Barcelona increase their revenues 2% annually, they will generate 126 millions extra cash in the following 5 years.
Regardless of the current board plans for the future, and regardless of the complexities of business and accounting, this percentage (2%) is just an indication that this sponsorship agreement is not a radical u-turn in any way as it is too small compared to the business operation value in the club that will exceed (back and forth) billions of cash in the following five years.
In the current board -Audited- accounting, where they tried to put all the mess possible on the previous board, the books recorded a loss of 80 Millions (Previous board budget for the same year recorded a profit of 9 millions). It is important to look at the Expenses section and draw a circle around players amortization (71 M). That amortization includes 8 millions related to Henry's transfer from Arsenal to Barcelona. Regardless how valid it is to add this to the budget (after Henry's move to USA), what is certain is that this amount of money will not exist in the current year. It also includes 13 Million amortization related to Ibra's transfer, something the current board could have reduced from the current year budget if they sold Ibra directly to Milan instead of one year loan (even if they received the first payment next year as the current agreement dictates). Add an estimated 5 millions amortization for Chegrnskiy. It also includes amortizations related to the signings of Caceres, Henrique, and Keirrison.
This means that with some more quality management (especially Ibra's transfer conditions), next budget will have 26 M less amortizations to record as expenses (Henry,Ibra,and Chegrnskiy). Then the selling of Caceres, Henrique, and Keirrison will clear their amortization expenses and add to the revenue (transfer return) neutralizing the amortization account completely. That alone will decrease the books deficit from 80 Millions to 9 millions in no time, even if the revenues didnt increase a bit. Sell Milito and you break even. Simple as that. We must not forget the club will start receiving payments from Ibra's transfer next year. So instead of him adding expenses through amortization and salary, he will add to revenue.
Take note, I am still taking in consediration that Mascherano's and Adriano's transfers were avoidable (Keeping Marquez or signing Senna). It is true that some contract renewals will increase some players salaries, but we must not forget that the club already knocked Henry, Ibra, Chegrnskiy and Marquez (if he leave) out of the payroll. All in all a decline in salaries expenses. That means: Even if we go by the current board's accounting numbers, and even if the club failed to increase revenues (The club increased the revenues almost every year since 2003), still the 80 millions loss we saw in the current books will not exist in the following fiscal year anyway. That lead us to believe what the previous board said: Next year Barcelona will generate profit. How many league champions and Champions league contenders in Europe can match such a balanced financial situation? Again we need to be aware that the current board auditing is not a certainty, as they definitely have an interest in showing the financial situation worse than it actually is. All that bring me to the debt issue...
Quoting Swiss Rambler:
"We’ve not been given the full details yet, but the adjusted figure released by the club was gross debt of €552 million (net debt €442 million). However, we do know that this represents total liabilities and is thus misleadingly high, as it includes trade creditors, accruals and even provisions. In fact, Rosell and his cohorts should be ashamed of this needless scaremongering, which is not consistent with standard accounting practice – or, indeed, UEFA’s definition, which explicitly states, “net debt does not include trade or other payables.”
As an example of how absurd the total liabilities definition is, just look at how high other clubs’ gross debt would be using this measure: Real Madrid €683 million, Liverpool €578 million and Manchester United €1.1 billion. Even Arsenal, which is regarded as the template for financial sustainability, would have “debt” of €767 million (though it’s come down a lot since the last annual accounts). This places Barcelona’s €552 million firmly into context. To use an old adage, you have to compare apples with apples."
Still, I will consider the 442 Millions as a debt the club need to pay (which is again not the case). It is a cartoon monster that is easy to counter even through playing by numbers Rosell-way. Sandro Rosell announced many times that the club will be able to reserve an average of 50 Million transfer budget annually. Having a look at Barcelona's squad where the most important players can serve (Key players or squad players) 3 to 5 more years like Abidal, Xavi, Villa, Keita and even Puyol (next year could be his last as a starter though), notice I kept Mascherano and Adriano out, added to players who will be in the club for longer period like Valdes, Pique, Busquets, Iniesta, Messi, Pedro, and Bojan supported by extremely promising talents like Fontas, Bartra, Oriol, Dos Santos, Thiago; anyone in his right mind believe that this club need to spend 250 M on transfers in the following five years?
If the club increase the revenues 2% as mentioned above, thats a 126 Millions in 5 years. More than enough to strengthen the squad. The club already took a loan for 155 M where 70 % of it went to pay urgent commitments (as the board mentioned), which means rescheduling commitments in a controllable manner. So it is safe to say that 100 Million of the 442 M rumored debt is already on the right track. Put the 250 Millions already reserved for transfers above it and that's 350 Millions sorted out (250 M paid completely in 5 years).
What about encouraging fans to become members rather than kicking them away, which may generate couple of millions more to the cash account? What about reviewing the salaries expenses from head to toe, especially on the administrative level? There are so many options to increase revenue and decrease expenses. Now I am aware that this is simplifying the issue, but it sound relevant for me to say: The club is not in an irreversible situation that require sponsorship agreement to jump for the rescue. It is safe to say the club now is in a better position than it was in 2003.
What this sponsorship deal did is that it ruined the last defense the club can use if things -really- went bad. Before the agreement, the club could always argue creditors that "we don't even have sponsorship agreement...we don't have sponsors for the stadium...we don't...we don't...and still we are the most competitive club and generate a revenue close to half billion" That hidden sponsorship card would have always had more value than it actually worth. The moment Barcelona signed the sponsorship deal this card was revealed and now it has a price tag. It is no more "priceless".
One of the most important things in business is to have a clear mission, vision and branding strategy and to stick to it as far as possible. There is no branding image that can win all the time. The clubs having the most luxurious sponsorship deals are the most debited ones. So it is not true that sponsorship is the make or break for any club's finance. Barcelona's image almost reached maturity in the past few years and there was a chance to stamp it on steel in the coming years. "More than a club" and for the first time in the club's history earned a market value and generated commercial benefits. It is amusing to keep repeating the 408.9 Millions revenue presented in the last Auditing the current board did. If you cant manage a club that generates this amount of money, you cant manage it even if you double the figures.
Beside, who said that this UNICEF-BARCA partnership reached its peak commercially? All what the club did was stamping the logo on the shirt and selling it. The UNICEF-BARCA partnership had massive potentials that the previous board didn't recognize and the current board killed. You can at least double Merchandise return through developing this partnership. You can sell almost anything with a UNICEF-BARCA Logo stamped on it from plates to printers. Even with a 50/50 profit share between the two parties Barcelona can still enjoy an increase in commercial return.
Agreements could have been made with third party to create pubs brand that generate franchising agreements across the globe. Sportswear. Restaurants. You name it. All based on the same partnership that offer UNICEF a share of the return. Anyone will spend money on items that match the market quality, knowing that a share of that money will go to support good cases, whether Barcelona fan or someone who has know clue about football all together. Thats a way to boost commercial return and club image through being faithful to the club mission and history. And we are still talking pure business.
I just cant stop explaining how unnecessary this agreement is. How damaging. But I am committing myself to shorten my posts a bit (though it is too late for this one already). Finally, whenever Rosell doesn't show up to announce something and send his directors instead, you know there is a problem. Ibra's transfer, Membership regulations and now sponsorship deal. Then they say "we can discuss it later in the Assembly", and it is astonishing how the members hatred toward Laporta make them accept anything thrown their way. Discuss what? "If you -dear members-don't like the agreement we can still pay some millions penalty for breaching the sponsorship contract" says Rosell.
It didn’t take time. Sandro Rosell fulfilled one of his ambitions.
“This is a sad day in the history of FC Barcelona. The club has just been closed for new members if they're not family of existing members.
From now on, only family in 1st and 2nd degree from members, children younger than 14 years and ex-members can become a member of Barcelona.” Barcastuff
Will it just pass or will it be debatable at least? I can’t comment on that. You have to agree that fans outside Catalonia were too passive to take their responsibilities that I am not sure how far their membership worth protecting.
Admittedly we had a group that was working behind the scene to try creating a campaign to prevent such moves. Yet, this was fast. And I was too busy lately to follow up. I can tell you though, there are big Penyas across the globe who are not hailing this decision at the moment. From what I’ve been told at least.
Sandro is afraid that lot of foreign members means damaging the club identity.
I wonder if he will start dictating a specific number of children any member can have. So he guarantees the club’s “future”.
At the moment I leave you with this article I wrote once on Total Barca, in case you missed it
The moment of truth
Laporta’s Era is almost gone. Regardless of all the controversy, there is no doubt that the club was subject to a radical transition on all aspects. The team success, added to the revolutionary development of Media coverage, Internet growth, and sport’s marketing progress, introduced Barcelona to a massive number of football fans across the globe. That’s always good news as it creates opportunities. Yet, for a club like Barcelona, it is also a challenge.
Wind of – global – change
Suddenly, everything sounded different. New board. New coach (well, that was not something we were not used to already…). New players. But most importantly, a new strategy that promoted the club for being more than a club. The reasons why I became a fan turned out to be the slogans stamped on the Club’s banners and the words sung by each and every board member, coach, and player. With all the non-Catalan fans getting more and more interested in club membership, there was a need to invest the club’s success and fame to represent and promote good causes that are not just related to Catalan history but also concur with human values (and ultimately will promote the Catalan cause).
At the end of the day, the image of any club is not only what the history brings, but what the present demonstrates for the future.The material was there. The history of struggling against unfairness. The sacrifices made to protect the national identity against a more dominating force. Freedom of speech. And the living proof that you can’t bury what’s right under the smoke of the guns. Nor can you drown it in its own blood. That’s a global case represented by a specific nation. It was a great opportunity to elect that nation, through its successful club, to represent those values and people around the world who share such beliefs. There is a thin line between politics, something the club must not get involved in, and human values that any organization must not shy away from supporting whenever possible. In fact, this is a leading method in business marketing nowadays. It is applied all over the world. Then there was the UNICEF agreement, and players like Iniesta, Xavi, and Messi who fit perfectly the profile needed to serve the cause.
Football is no more about only kicking that round thing toward that net over there with eleven fully fit men trying to prevent that at all cost. It’s now the method of promoting hope; inspiring youth all over the world and creating new idols to imitate, other than the drug dealers and gangsters across the streets in impoverished lands. Showing the youth another way to get recognized through buying a ball rather than a gun. FC Barcelona, because of its ‘beyond football’ culture, was the right club to lead this challenge. Being more than a club means an unquestionable dedication in that direction. And there were football fans all over the world excited to embrace that approach by supporting not only the attractive football performed on the field but also the mission statement behind the club’s identity.
Wind of – global – challenge
After following the English premier league clubs standing in a row with their price tags stamped on their foreheads waiting for the highest bidder to sell their souls, I suffered a panic attack. Theoretically, it’s not impossible that Barcelona could end up suffering the same fate. It’s almost impossible, but any multinational company owner can make all his employees register as members, invest some money to convince some other members and here you go, another broker from nowhere is a favorite candidate to become the new president of FC Barcelona.
Another broker may take advantage of a massive number of members in his country and lead a national campaign to hijack the club through elections.
People may protest, Catalans may revolt, but 1) The existing regulations of any firm dictate legal commitments that go beyond any change of public opinion. 2) It will create a chaos regardless of how it will end. I support the suggestion that we must not wait till it happens.
All of a sudden, this non-Catalan fan based structure of the club started to become a tricky case to resolve, as far as it is a great method to be proud of. The global presence of the club is a necessity – in my opinion. Yet the Catalan impact must not dissolve in the massive popularity and global membership tsunami. The same Catalan members that resisted all the temptations to put a sponsor on the shirt for decades, regardless of all the bad times the club passed through (which proved the right decision afterward), must be there to create that extra immunity shield to keep the club on the right track all the time.
At the same time, it’s unacceptable to discriminate between the fans based on race, nationality, or ethnicity. I was looking forward to the election candidates’ propositions in that matter. For me, that’s one of the key issues the new board need to tackle. The feedback was not only awfully disappointing, it was naïve, unrealistic, and insulting!
The identity chaos!
The elections candidates are terrified that more Barcelona fans are seeking membership. One of the lame arguments is that the number of members must not exceed the number of seats because every member has the right to watch the games at the Camp Nou. As if the Camp Nou is packed game in game out. And even if 120,000 fans are camping there, all day and night, does it mean that we stop accepting new members or expand the stadium? Just a hypothetical scheme countering a hypothetical statement. You don’t kill your new child because there aren’t enough beds at home, what about buying a new bed instead? What if the club membership matched the stadium capacity, then a new Catalan was born; do we cancel the membership of one of those non-Catalans to spare a space for the new “pure” Culé? A sarcastic remark countering an ironic argument.
That’s not the true reason, that’s just an excuse. The serious concern is the threat that the global fans may affect the club’s identity passively. That’s valid. Yet, we -or the Catalans between us, Barca fans- must decide what kind of Barcelona they want for the future? If it’s a club for Catalonia and Catalan fans, A.K.A another Athletic Bilbao model, the club must customize its structure likewise. Close each and every non-Catalan penya and reconsider merchandising markets. The financial return may decline, but so will the costs because the club will not take the option of signing the likes of Alves, Abidal, Yaya, Ronaldinho, Deco, Eto’o, Ibra, Messi, Iniesta… The objective of representing Catalonia will bring even more pride to the club’s Catalan fans than winning titles.
If FC Barcelona is still the club we all support, a Catalan Club with a global community, then hold on there, Mr. Candidate! What started as vague whispers, ended up becoming a daily loaf in every candidate’s speech. Knowing that Sandro Rosell is the favorite to become the club’s leader, representative and new prophet, it’s valid to take his words more critically than the rest. It was a spark of lunacy to say:
“We have already 3.000-4.000 Japanese club members, which is good but one day we could have 50.000. Or 50.000 Chinese or 50.000 Russians, it’s the same. And those 50.000 Russians could one day decide that the president of Barça would be a Russian. He should have his legal residence in Catalonia, but that’s easy.”
As long as the presidental candidate is a true Barça fan who understands the club values and culture, where is the problem if he was Russian, Chinese, or Lionel Messi? When we talk about “Identity”, are we talking about the Club’s -Catalan – culture and values or Catalan blood? Saying so, Mr. Candidate didn’t only neglect the club’s history (the club exists thanks to a Swiss), but also sent a wrong message for the future.
According to Mr. Rosell, Raul Tamudo is a more valid candidate to become Barcelona’s president than Andres Iniesta. It’s easier to pay some money to become a member than changing your blood. Why are you -Mr. Candidate- so terrified of diversities and so obsessed with ethnic purity as the only way to reserve pride? While defending the “Identity”, aren’t you getting closer to everything this Identity fought against and suffered from for ages? It’s like defending the identity by reshaping it to what counters its nature.
Roadmap for the future
Protecting the club’s identity must not be seen as a Catalan vs. non-Catalan issue, from an ethnic perspective. This club is a Catalan child. Nothing will change that. No one who has any compassion toward the club will let that happen. Fans around the world spread their arms to the child, creating endless future opportunities to grow and develop. They embraced its motto and the culture -and nation- behind it. They created an engagement between its historical -local- values inspired by its past, and the global human values that can help create a better future for human kind. But they never -for a moment- forgot that this is still a Catalan child. If there is someone who can serve as a demonstration, it’s Lionel Messi. The Argentinean -football wise- owes the Catalan community through its club more than he owes his home country for the great player he became. But make no mistake; he is still an Argentinean as far as he can be.
FC Barcelona is a global club now. Its identity must recognize that, and must be reserved per se. We are all aware that the club must be protected from opportunistic gamblers, whether they are Catalan or not. When there is a will, there is a way. There are definitely better means than shutting down all the doors and burning all the bridges between the fans and the club. I may not be an expert, but I am sure if the club creates a qualification round for the candidates before the presidential elections, it will solve the problem once and for all. In round one, all the candidates need to get a nominal percentage of CATALAN votes to survive till the second round where the presidential elections take place.
This will make the Catalan members serve as the Knights of the Temple, making it impossible for the Abramovichs, Shinawatras, Gilletts and Hickses to hack the club, but will keep the door opened for the Iniestas, Messis and all the members who prove they can lead the club to more success whether they are Russian, Chinese, or …Swiss.
That will protect the club from the global threat, but still there will be a threat of over-politicizing the club, driven by temporary national fever that will lead to regret afterward. Catalan-ic fever can lead to mess sometimes. That’s where non-Catalan fans contribute in the first qualification stage with the right of Veto. Each non-Catalan fan will have one Vote to place against one of the candidates. The candidate who collects the highest number of Vetoes (over a minimal percentage) should be disqualified for the following round. This way the final candidates will be the options approved by the Catalan community (protecting the club’s identity). At the same time, none of them will be aggressively rejected by the fans across the globe (which opposes the club’s interest and the global face of the identity coin).
In the second stage all the fans, Catalans and non-Catalans, can safely vote for the following president with no concerns. If needed, similar arrangements could be made for the most crucial decisions depending on their nature.
With that huge concern being terminated, the club must focus on an unquestionable campaign to enhance the fans’ involvement in the club’s orbit.
There will be no anxiety if the /insert any nationality/ club members became 50,000 or even more. That’s a gift. Remember the stadium capacity excuse? Having 50,000 Russian, 50,000 Chinese, 50,000 Japanese members means that Barca can select the matches where predictions do not expect massive attendance and announce that: “Week 3, Liga game against YYY will be the Russian Culé week”. Russian penyes can work on special flight + accommodation packages to Barcelona. They come in numbers to the stadium to honor the club that dedicated a specific week for them, to create a carnival in the stadium that merge the Catalan/Barcelona inputs with their own flavors, being Russian culés. Another week for Chinese Culés, Japanese Culés, etc…
Bringing the fans from all over the world in numbers to support the team will not only increase attendance but will also create a positive economic cycle for the City throughout the season (which is not the peak months of tourism in Barcelona).
The club must put no boundaries while trying to convert fans to members, even if it meant stitching the members’ names within the official kit fabrics. This is the fans’ club after all. Penyes all over the world might be encouraged to communicate and enhance the fans’ PR, based on interest. The club -through a specific office- can generate franchising opportunities for Catalan firms by taking advantage of the club Penyes effort across the world in its respective markets. That will also include promoting theater, music, and art in general.
The potentials are huge. The return for Catalans will be remarkable. The output regarding loyalty, commitment and dedication toward the club will have no second. The benefits the fans across the world will gain would be immense.
The identity dilemma is neither a Catalan product nor a unique feature for FC Barcelona. Globalization raised this quandary all over the world. Different communities felt they are threatened in their language, culture, religion, or belonging. For some, it leads them to adapt to the challenge by modernizing their unique features and stamping it on the global face of the future as their trademark contribution to the world. Others panic and resist the change. A battle that was never won before and never will. It’s a matter of choice.
As for FC Barcelona, it’s the time to decide either to open all the windows and doors for the fresh breeze and the sun, or to lock its soul in the narrow cages of the dark ages.
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Not as clear as they try to show
Barcelona’s football chess: Guardiola and Rosell, who will resign first?
After Frank Rijkaard’s era, Laporta made the shocking decision of hiring Pep Guardiola as a new coach thought there were more proven names on the list of candidates. Laporta’s decision was not only based on sport reasoning, but also a well calculated attempt to ease the pressure of the fans during that period of mess. There were lot of doubts regarding Pep’s experience and readiness for the job. Yet, there is no other figure in world football that Barcelona fans will sympathize with more, even if they are not that convinced of his qualities for the job. That meant fewer headaches for the board facing a motion of no confidence campaign that may end up throwing them out of power.
In his first season, he was the new coach hired by Juan Laporta and Txiki Begiristain. So he had no reason to complain. His second season was the election’s year. The last thing the board wanted is to make the most popular figure, player, and coach upset after winning everything possible for the club. That’s why –for example- they were not able to oppose his will, when he demanded paying 25 million for an unproven Chegrnskiy. Even though, the Sporting Director –Txiki- refused to fulfill the request, Laporta decided–for the first time may be- to face Txiki’s complains and support Guardiola, paying the bill with a smiley face while packing the Ukrainian to the coach.
Election campaigns started, and one of Sandro’s tools to criticize Laporta and his reign was attacking Txiki Begiristain’s transfers’ decisions. In Laporta used to consider hiring Txiki as the best decision he made since he was elected as a club president. Pep was originally demanding more empowerment in transfer decisions. Sandro took that as an opportunity and announced that he want to give Pep the authorities Alex Ferguson has as a club manager. Out of sudden, Pep started to point out that as a coach, he already have lot of responsibilities that he can’t add more work on his table. He even revealed being satisfied with the relation he has with Txiki. Sandro ignored that one by telling the press that if he became the president, he will set with the coach and do what’s needed to keep him settled. An election statement that only aims to generate votes and clear concerns.
Txiki Begiristain left his post with Laporta, and Sandro became the new president of Barcelona. His reputation of interfering in the coach’s work followed him all the way. To face such claims he decided to hire a new Sporting director- something he opposed when he was a vice president in Laporta’s board and was one of the reasons of the big conflict between the two men. Even with all the votes he earned in the elections, he was still aware that his popularity is conditional while Pep’s adulation is permanent between the supporters. So he made a smart compromise picking one of Pep’s closest friends -Andoni Zubizarreta- as a Sporting director. Yet, he took the decisions he needed for the first season even before officially announcing the sporting director appointment. Not only he signed a player –a good transfer though- but even sold a player who was no one but Pep’s victory over Txiki: Chegrnskiy!
Since day one, there were lot of signs that the relation between the two men is not exactly as good as it was between the previous board and the coach. Pep preseason’s interview was a sign, if we read between the lines. Maybe, it’s just the impact of the change in management. Maybe with time they will find the chemistry needed to perfect the environment. Yet, lot of factors will play a role in that matter. I believe the following two seasons will be vital for the two figures.
If the team fails during the first season, it is unlikely that Pep will resign. He can’t leave after a failure if he has any hope to generate future success. Having Barcelona’s squad will no doubt tempt that hope. It is well known that he has his ambitions that exceed coaching the club. Even before becoming the coach he was engineering a group of notable figures for future presidential elections. Resigning after failure is not a good start. Unless if he will resign and blame Rosell for being responsible of the failure. I don’t see Pep doing that. In return, Sandro’s reputation since Rijkaard’s days for being someone who has no tolerance with coaches will give him no chance to fire the popular coach. In fact it will be an opportunity for him to clear that accusation one and for all. He is smart enough not to waste that chance.
One bad season may not be enough to fire Sandro as well. But if it adds on other factors that the first presidential year generates, it may lead to a shocking early voting. For many years, Sandro enjoyed what we can call the blessing of resistance. As any party in any country, while it is not in the government they can enjoy an increasing popularity simply by criticizing the ones in power. The moment they rule is the moment they start losing that attractiveness. Still, it’s extremely unlikely that Sandro will have troubles to survive after the first season.
If the club succeeds in the first season, there is a higher possibility for Pep to resign. He is the son of the club and he knows that he will never be a lifetime coach for Barcelona. At this club, it’s important to know when to accept a responsibility but what’s more important is to know when to abandon the ship before it drowns.
After the club fails in two consecutive seasons, regardless if Pep will be still there or not, Sandro will be in a big trouble. If Pep leaves after the first season and the club fails in the second one, then Sandro is most likely out. There will be some inevitable whispers that Sandro forced Pep out after beating the continuity candidates one year earlier. All those who contributed in the clubs success will be out when the team fails. No other scapegoat beside the once-worshiped president.
As long as Sandro can manage to avoid failing in two consecutive seasons, he can survive. Yet there are lots of factors that will play a role to make his life easier or more complicated. What helped him a lot in his election campaign were Laporta’s mistakes. The former president obsession in his political future created lot of enemies in Catalonia. Some of the most influential figures felt insecure toward Laporta’s antiques and they supported slapping him on the face by defeating his continuity candidate in the elections. Now that Laporta is a politician you can’t exclude bargaining in that market. You will sense such compromises in the press behavior and how friendly or violent it will be toward the current Barcelona board.
Sandro Rosell already raised some eyebrows with all the smoke bombs he threw regarding the financial stability of the club. He will not be able to keep doing so and soon he will be judged based on his own performance as a President and not for the critical thesis he make against the former board.