Elections Weekly (5): A Xavi new year

Elections Weekly (5): A Xavi new year

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this is a summary of the blog FC Barcelona 2010 where you can follow the built-up to the elections on a daily basis. the blog can also be followed through facebook and twitter. you can click on the links to read the full story. you can read all previous episodes of this weekly here.

First: we’re on Facebook. Second: the struggle to become the continuity candidate really broke loose last Wednesday when assets vice-president Jaume Ferrer surprisingly declared on a radio show that he will be a presidential candidate: “Yes, I will run for president. I have the will and the desire to form a candidacy and to win the elections.”

The vice-president, who would have the support of five other board members, reportedly wants to keep the same club model but introduce another style of governing and said he hadn’t been able to find a deal with first vice-president Alfons Godall to present one unique board candidacy.

As did Ferrer earlier last week, one of his supporters, institutional vice-president Albert Perrín, nevertheless said they still hope for a unique board candidate: “We would like that there’s only candidacy to come out of this board. I would like it to be Ferrer because he has the qualities to be a good president, but Jaume could accept being the second man.”

Godall and Ferrer would meet this week to continue to talk about their respective electoral projects and to try to form one continuity candidacy despite their differences. Godall, who hopes sports director Txiki Begiristain will continue next season, would want to make his candidacy public during the second week of January.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who is not considering himself as the best president in the history of the club, meanwhile described the qualities a president should have: “If you want to lead this club, you have to able to deal with the pressure. We need strong, courageous people, who are aware that the club is the most important thing and goes before every other interest. The club should be lead by responsible people, so we don’t need immature or spoiled people, people who are not able to resist in difficult times.”

Despite Agustí Benedito having managed to come out on top of an internet poll, fellow candidate Jaume Guixà thinks he has the most powerful candidacy and that he won’t need to find a deal with others to get to the final vote.

Some new names were put on the table last week, the most remarkable one being that of former Barcelona player and manager Carles Rexach, who has reportedly been made an offer to lead a candidacy and is still thinking about that. Other possible candidates are Jaume Llauradó, who could run for the fourth time, and Jordi Roche, a former president of the Catalan football federation.

Former vice-president Sandro Rosell, who would try to avoid as much as possible to speak in public, would meanwhile be closing in on Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fàbregas, who should become the cornerstone of his new football project. The current board would nevertheless also have made the transfer of Cesc an absolute priority.

One of the key questions now is when the elections will take place. They should be held between 15 March and 15 June and while they were originally expected to be at the end of the season, the date could be brought forward to March or April to shorten the campaign, that is expected to be dirty, and to reduce the possible influence on the team.

Finally: a late Merry Christmas (check Laporta’s gift for you) and an early Happy New Year to all of you. Or what seems to have become the Catalan version: Messi Christmas and a Xavi New Year!

Most read of the week:
Poll result: Who would you vote for?

Must read of the week:
Ferrer confirms that he will run for president

Interesting sidenote read of the week:
Ex-coach Rexach considers running for president

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There are 5 comments for this post

  1. buj says:

    LOL love the cartoon. So true but that for once is not a good present, at least IMO

  2. henrik larson says:

    vote for rosell

  3. Barca fan says:

    Messi Christmas and a Xavi New Year to all Cules!
    LOL!

  4. ~ x ~ says:

    lol nice one: messi christmas and a xavi new year! :D

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