WE HAVE FORGOTTEN EVERYTHING

We have forgotten everything. Everything that made Barça great, as a team, as a Club, as an entity, has disappeared. And if there is anything left, it is hidden in some drawer, as if we were ashamed to show it.

They have forgotten the famous "values". A Club that helped as it did to the Brazilian Chapecoense after its accident, a Club, where the U-13 team goes around the world with wonderful images after winning a Japanese team or, a Club that was showing off UNICEF on the chest and was paying!!! to do so, can not fail to not return the ball after the opponent sends it out to attend an injured player, further if he was wasting time or anything else. The image, by itself, is not pretty. Or, it can not be that a team of our Academy, in one of these tournaments that are played now at Easter, make the kick-off when the opponent is celebrating a goal. It is possible that the boys are not aware of what is going on, however, the referee does not have to give permission for the kick-off, and the team leaders have to tell the children to stop and wait for the opponents.

And, with that, we have forgotten grassroots. The social networks of the Club only talk about wins of U-11, U-15 or U-19, while at the first team there is no player arriving from the lower ranks since many years ago. The last was Sergi Roberto, who debuted with Guardiola. Rafinha was loaned and, if it is not because the coach is Luis Enrique, who had him at Celta, I doubt he would have returned. Thiago, Bartra, Onana, Bellerin, Deulofeu, Adama, Grimaldo, Samper or Munir are not here. For one reason or another. Some have been sold (better or worse), others have been shown where the exit door was, and others are on loan. Surely, more than one of these, or many, would serve perfectly to do the work that others, who cost than 150M€ in transfers, do not know, can not do, or, do not want to do. Not to mention the B. But if they are leading the 2ndB and they have quite well to be promoted to 2ndA, you will tell me! True, but 2/3 of his players have not even come through the Youth, with all that this implies. And I doubt the vast majority will continue in the team if it is promoted. So, what is the aim?

And, having forgotten grassroots, we have forgotten the "model", the one of playing. The one everyone in the football world applauded and admired. The one that was the envy of all. Now we play something different. "Evolution," they call it. But, so much evolution that, in the end, does not resemble it at all. Hey! However, we have possession! We have what??? They have not understood anything. Absolutely nothing about how Barça plays. And, now they tell us that we have to bring players with muscle for the midfield, that Xavi and Iniesta does not serve, that Mascherano and not Busquets should be the central midfielder, that this is "modern" football. I insist. Nothing. About nothing. And, when Luis Enrique uses 1-3-4-3 as a system, they tell us it is what Cruyff was doing. No idea, listen. No idea. Because Cruyff did not play with 3 center back (or Lopez Rekarte, Ferrer, Sergi and Juan Carlos were CB???). The Barça of Cruyff (and the one of Guardiola when it used this system), had width with the full-backs and width with the wingers. So, 4. This one, only 2. There was Koeman alone (perhaps with Nando or Nadal). Here we have Mascherano-Piqué-Umtiti (or Piqué-Umtiti-Mathieu... it doesn’t matter). There, Bakero played with his back to the goal. Here, Messi, when playing in this position, does so to receive and play up. Txiki or Goiko were wingers, wingers. Do we have any of these now? It's the same... Come on, man, come on!

And, we have forgotten that Barça can not be al the day in the courts. The signing of Neymar, the FIFA case, the land of Gavà-Viladecans, the "estelades" ... and now the appeal for the sanction against Neymar before tomorrow's match against Madrid. I am clear that it is not acted the same against Barça as against others. No doubt. But, that the level of incompetence of the Directors and Legal Services (or other contracted lawyers) is stratospheric, I still have less doubt. One thing is very clear. The Laws have been skipped. Further that from Madrid, Nyon or Zurich they push more here than to other sides, the truth is that they have not given us the reason in anything. This, when appeals have been sent late or with defects. Remember the Cup Final in Madrid, where they wanted to ban the estelades. The appeal of the Club was not admitted, because it was not signed by the one who has to (it was the Club and, it had to be a private, if I have no misunderstanding). With the case of Neymar (that seems that it is not yet finished), at the moment the Club is convicted. Yes, we are criminals. The same ones (Rosell and Bartomeu), who continue to repeat that "we would do everything the same" are those who say "they want to condemn us for a crime committed by the Club." For the Club! Not them! You have to be a real shamelessness to say so. All this without talking about the Directors who, for one reason or another, with a constant drip, appear in newspapers (in some newspapers, because others..., better not to talk), TV, etc.,with different problems with justice because their business activities. And this can not be. One thing is bad management and, another, to be a criminal offender. This is Barça and, like Caesar's wife, if it is not honest, at least it should look like it is.

And, with all this, and more, we have forgotten that we are "Més que un Club". Now we are "More than a Club". In fact, it should not surprise us too much. The official website of the Club is in English (.com), as well as social networks like Twitter (the @FCBarcelona account is in English, while _cat, _se, _jp,... are the associated accounts), in case someone did not know it. We are so international that there are “socis” in Colombia, the United States, Switzerland, Russia, China, Japan, Senegal..., that they have to take a plane if they want to vote the day of  Elections, because, in a world so technological and other, it turns out that you can not yet vote electronically. Because we have also forgotten the soci. Or, maybe what does not matter is the soci. Because the soci complains when things are not going well. And, if you have a Camp Nou with a majority of tourists, these do not come to complain. Although a sandwich full of fat and a drink costs you 9 or 10€. A Camp Nou which, by the way, should be reformed. I've said it more than once. Compared to the new stadiums in Europe, we are light years away from those. But there is not a cent in the cash. And, Barça, who has never been a seller club, must sell (better or worst), players to equilibrate the accounts. Because, in addition, a Project that was going to cost 600M€, already woit will cost 630M€ before doing anything. But, we are a global club and therefore we are "More than a Club". And everybody is happy.

We have forgotten so many things that the list is endless. Even what the shirt is. And now, we put horizontal stripes or, we do not know how many vertical stripes..., marketing, they call it, globalization... And, in the meantime, the shirt with the senyera (the one they said it would ALWAYS be), has disappeared. They have also forgotten it.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on twitter: @JordiPascualP

LIGHTS AND SHADOWS

Beyond the change from "Model" (The one which, according to the Board wasn't questioned) and the fact unacceptable to me that the 1st team plays in a way and at grassroots (Academy), they work and play in a different manner, fact is this Barça of Luis Enrique has a number of features quite marked. Let's see what this team stronger and, where squeaks this way of playing the Asturian.

The first thing that is clear is that this team has been made from verticality and not horizontality. So far Barça was a team that slowly up the ball until all players have placed in attacking positions and from there, start that dance of positions and players which mesmerized the rival until it left a hole to penetrate with many options to score. It was a team based on midfielders. To fill the midfield with players and create the superiorities from there was the most important.

Now, that does not exist. The team begins at the back to go quickly up, to find the "Three Tenors" that, from these, come the plays. And basically everything goes around Messi. Before, the game was organized from Xavi. He dictated the "tempo" of the match. When to go fast and when to slow. Now, quickly search of Messi, for him, from the position of dropped winger, to make a diagonal to Neymar. This diagonal is what gives him time to get to the edge of the area, which is where the Argentine star is lethal. Weeks ago, Messi picked up the ball and began to dribble players up to the front. He had two lines and 6-7 players to delete. Now no. He delates midfielders with this pass and reaches the front where there will be 2-3 to "disturb" him. Pretty easier.

If the diagonal is not feasible, then Messi tries to dribble and go by the right side. But here is closed for 2-3 opponents... and the sideline. When Messi played as "False 9", could have opponents, but had no space limitations. Now he has them and this makes it easier to lose balls.

And if Messi is closed, turn to play ball back and start moving the ball. But this team no longer has to Xavi and no one to play their role. Midfielders (Iniesta, Rakitic, Rafinha...), are not players with the pause and sense of game as the one of Terrassa. And, the team notices a lot. Too Much. And, as the positional play has become an accessory, if the mechanisms and automatisms are not worked, they are lost. As also football patience has been lost. Everything is vertigo and speed. Back and forth.

And now the team reaches attack positions far between the lines. This means that, if there is turnover, the contrary has a lot more space to counterattack, just as it has Barça. The games have become a coming and going, often nonsensical. And this Barça gives many options for the adversary. Any team can put Barça's defense in trouble, which has not all the blame, much less, of conceding goals.

It is said that when a team receives goals, blamed for the defense or goalie. No. At least not always, and in the case of Barça, perhaps less often than people think. If the ball arrives easily to the rival forwards and they have clear choices to overcome the defense is not, in principle, because the defenses are bad or not in "form". Often in situations 2v2/1v2/1v1 where the opposite faces goal while the defense runs back. Or, the defense must come down at full speed from offensive positions, because the team structure does not allow for adequate coverage and surveillance.

Luis Enrique, after a long time, seems to have found its "starter team". This is formed by Bravo (Ter Stegen for Cup and Champions), Alves and Alba as full-backs, Piqué and Mascherano as central defenders, Busquets as central midfielder and Iniesta Rakitic as attacking midfielders and, Messi, Neymar and Suarez as forwards.

Clearly, the three at the front is pure dynamite. If not the best attack in the history of football, it sure is among the best. There is goal, quality and magic. Each player is different and each player brings to the game unique characteristics: speed, movement off the ball, definition. When any of the three has the ball, you know that anything can happen. And, this is not usually good for rivals.

The midfield is the most suffering this new model of Luis Enrique. Participation in the construction of the game is almost testimonial. As already mentioned, the ball rolling at high speed from defense to the forwards, midfielders only serve as companions. And as companions, have a secondary role. Their work is more recovery than building up. And Xavi and Iniesta are very uncomfortable with these very remote functions of their features. And Busquets has to take care of hundreds of square meters, because the team is no longer the team that was all together and had a player 10m. away of each other. Now, that does not exist. If the ball arrives to the forwards, they try to do something without expecting support. If it goes well, it's fantastic. But if the play does not end, midfielders are far and spaces are very large. As it is about running and not about have fluency in the game, many people prefer Mascherano instead of Busquets in the middle. As I said a few days ago, before, to have the matches under control we were using Xavi. Now we use Mascherano. Different players, different football concept. And, of course, will give different results. We have gone from make the ball run to make the players run. Concept.

And on defense, after Douglas, Mathieu and Vermaelen have come, Piqué and Mascherano continue to play, with testimonials roles for Bartra and Montoya. It is true that we have recovered the best version of Piqué and the team appreciates it. But Mascherano remains the "libero" (Sorry, but I don't accept this of "central amender"; you know that I do not like the inventions of names for existing things), and it seems that there is no credible alternative by the coach in the major matches. In the meantime, Alves still offering a lime and sand and Alba, in tight defensive situations, shows that still have tactical deficiencies. Both are much more comfortable in attack than in defense. Perhaps because even for so fast players like them it isn't useful?

And behind the defenses,  there is the goalkeeper. Bravo is however expected. Sober, without great fanfare. A goalie to win games, but not to win Championships, in my opinion. You can tell me that he is the less scored goalkeeper of the League and probably of the season. Barça goalkeeper has to stop the very difficult balls... and some of the impossible. Ter Stegen is proving the correctness of his signing. No complex, playing quietly and is very young. And, this yes, he stops some of the impossible balls.

We're talking about a Barça that makes a lot of goals, but also gives many options to the contrary. A Barça built from the speed of the players and not from the order of the ball. Basically, this was expected. Compare the players who were Luis Enrique and Guardiola, compare how their teams are. And is not the same to play against a mid-table team in the league, that to it do against Madrid, Chelsea or Bayern in the Champions League. If we play like the first half against the City, everything is possible for this team. If we do as the second one..

A team, as Luis Enrique said in his press conference of presentation, which is unpredictable. What happens is that often it seems unpredictable for the players themselves.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on twitter: @JordiPascualP

ELECTIONS AT BARÇA (& IV)

In previous posts I have talked about what, to me, should be the future of Barça. I have spoken of the economic model, sports and other sports. Now, it's time to talk about the one who owns the Club: The "Socis" (Members).

The socis of Barça go voting, every six years, which will their President. Every year there's Assembly of Delegates, which could gather a little more than 4000 partners to decide the general lines to be followed by the Board. The reality is that just over 1000 are attending. And that's it. It is very difficult (if not impossible) that the partners may have other activities and participation in the daily life of the club. Convene a non-confidence motion, with the new Statutes, means they have to be 15% of the members entitled to vote who request it. Around 20000. In 14 days, without having Census Members.

"Socis" (less and less, by the way), go to the Camp Nou every 15 days. One reason is that there are fewer members seats. How is this? All Right. Very simple. Not everyone who leaves the seat (resign as member), is replaced by other members. In the late 90s, the Club had major headaches in Champions League games. By law, 5% of tickets should be for visiting supporters. And this meant moving a large number of people (mostly Lateral (side), 3rd Row), to do so. Today, this is much easier. With a capacity of 99,000 seats, only 84000 (figure given by the Vice-President Faus in one of the presentations for the reform of the Camp Nou), are members. That is, 15,000 seats have been lost (or have been won 15,000 tickets to put on sale every game, each one to look as they want).

And, as ever fewer members, it is increasingly difficult to have complaints. At least, in the stadium. Very special circumstances should be taken to the "soci" make a mass protest. It's not about the "soci" to complain every day. Not at all. It is establishing channels that allow the members to say theirs. To participate more actively in the day by day. Nor, it does not try to monitor the activities of the Board. No. That's why they were elected.

For instance. The Delegates we talked about earlier are chosen by lottery. Don't you mean that, to encourage participation, it would be better than those members who want to be (delegates), can be elected directly? And if you do not get the number that mark the Statutes, then the draw is made to choose the rest.

Or, the members to have option for interviews (interactive, for example), with the Officials of the Club? These may, from time to time, go explaining what happens in the Club.

Many will say to me that most clubs that's what happens. Do not forget one thing. In the vast majority of clubs in the world, people that go to the Stadium aren't club owners. They are supporters, only. Here, as I have said many times, we are the "owners". The decisions of the Board are (or will be) in accordance with an electoral program and, as we say the members. On the other clubs, no. There is one person or group of persons who, because they have the majority of shares in the club, decide what they believe is best for their personal interests. And if they get tired, they sell it (the Club), and go away.

At Barça, it does not happen. And it doesn't have to happen. Barça must remain of its members. And they to say theirs. And, it is not to send an e-mail to complain that the seat is broken. Or that water falls when it rains because a pipe from the top is broken. Or ... No. This is not member participation. But then, neither the schedules nor the restoration of Camp Nou does not help much, not to say it does not help anything. Matches on weekdays at 10 pm. With some sandwiches and drinks at exorbitant prices (and no more than that). Members who go to the stadium arrive just in time, watch the game and leave quickly, because tomorrow people have to get up early to go to work. And let's not talk of those who live outside Barcelona and have 2-3 hours to arrive. At some point there was talk of formulas as applied by Bayern, which takes off place at those who do not go to matches. Normal schedule in Bundesliga is 15:30 on Saturday. There's a match at 18:30. One on Friday at 20:30 and Sundays match at 15:30 and another at 17:30. The same as here, so. And some would like to apply the measure. I know they will tell me that this is not the fault of the club. If TV, that if the Asian market, if ... Are you sure? At all? Can anyone tell the me difference (in TV rights), when playing on Sunday at 5pm or Sunday at 9pm? I'm not so clear.

What should be the mechanisms that allow the participation of the membrs? As I said, there are a few: Interactivity with Officials, suitable schedules, adaptation of the Stadium, Assemblies with more representative Delegates ... If you think about it, certainly you'll nfind some more.

It is our Club, and we are all interested in this is working.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on Twitter: @JordiPascualP

ELECTIONS AT BARÇA (III)

Historically, FC Barcelona has been a multidisciplinary Club. Basketball, Handball, Volleyball, Rugby, etc. have been sports where the name of our Club has been present. Currently, up to 12 different modalities are practiced in the Club. Of these, 4 are considered professionals (Basketball, Handball, Roller-Hockey and Futsal), while the rest are amateurs.

The questions that many people raise are: Is it necessary to spend so much money to maintain (in the case of professional sports) as a loss-making activities for the Club? and, moreover, should we have so many different amateur sports in a club that is as professional as Barça?

I will tell you yes. To both. Let's start by the amateur sections. The last to go was an historical as was baseball. The justification was that the cost of this section was around 400,000€/year and, since the Club had a "deep economic crisis as a result of the previous Board" had to eliminate those expenses which were not necessary. Well, for you may have an idea, bringing Neymar with family and friends to the presentation of  the player cost (travel, hotels, etc.), according to what the former President Rosell said in his statement to the judge, 301,000€. That is, in a couple of days we spent the same cost that baseball has in a year. No comments.

As the name suggests, they are amateur teams; ie, the players do this sport because they like it, and they have no financial compensation that allows them to live of the sport. As such, these sports serve to show the name of Barça everywhere. To compete. Nothing else than that. So many sponsors and partners and I do not know how many things we have, can't we find one of more local type that serves to cover part of the costs they have? At the end of the day, how much money (among all these amateur sports) are we talking about? 5M€/year? For a club with an overall budget of over 500M€, this means 1% of the total. To put it differently: What an average player of the football team earns (gross), is what cost us all sections at the end of the year. And there would be many simple solutions, such as involving professional players, who serve for these sports. I think there is no more getting around the issue.

Let's go to 'professionals' sports. Teams ready to compete at the highest level in all competitions. Teams that play the "Champions League" for their sport, which often are in the finals and win. Teams costing us a lot of money each year and they tell us they are a bottomless pit. That, however much you try, you can never be profitable. Are you Sure? Has anyone looked well how the NBA works? Has anyone looked at how they work teams across Europe that do not have a "mother" football team who gives the name and much more? As many clubs from around the world come to see the model of "La Masia" to carry it to their clubs and countries, I think we should go there to see what and how. Because if Memphis Grizzlies, with a capacity in the Fedex Forum of 18,000 spectators has benefits and this Club is only dedicated to this, we have to start thinking how they do there.

They have said us about having global sponsors for all sections, about sponsorship for each team, this and that. What I can not understand is that a club like Barça have so much trouble to put a commercial name on the shirt when, we are told, there are so many sponsors and so many people who want to invest in our Club. Something is not right. Or we do not know how to sell the brand "Barça" or, we can not explain what the different sections represent or whatever. What is certain is that there is something that we do not do well.

Together with the purely sporting part is the exploitation of the sports arena. The "Palau Blau Grana". Years ago that is small and outdated. The Board put in the same package of reform of the Camp Nou building a new "Palau" when this was something that had in its election manifesto. If someone tells me reasons why you must go to referendum something we already said they wanted to do... Also, one of the prerequisites for this new construction is that Euroleague Basketball forces have pavilions at least 10,000 people capacity. What capacity will have the new "Palau"? Well, 10,000. That is, it appears that the Board has no great interest (or do not know how it works), in a large enclosed sports arena. Beyond the matches, there are many activities to do on a Pavilion of these features. Perhaps no one has explained, but here too there are "VIP Boxes", restaurants, etc. It is, like the case of football, to offer all kinds of services, match-day as well as the other days. People should have the need to spend the day at the club facilities and, if football game is at 8pm, do not have a match of whatever at 6pm, for the simple reason that people leave the Palau to go immediately to Camp Nou. Now, if you have the game in the Palau at 5pm, there may be people who go to eat something before changing scenario. Obviously, this is linked with the prices at the concessions of restaurants and similar. With current prices and services neither the Camp Nou nor the Palau. Has anyone stopped to consider the revenue that could we have with another model of pricing and service?

The sections are closely related to the exploitation of the "Palau". In fact, there is no, in these sports, the earnings of football by television and/or ticketing. One thing to decide is what we do with Club members and their relationship with other sports. Obviously, the first thing that matters is that the person who will watch basketball or handball is the "soci" of the club. But, as we said before, there is a problem of exploitation. The futsal team played a few days ago the "Elite Round" of UEFA giving access to the "Final Four" of the sport. It was played at the "Palau". What was the assistance of spectators? Below 2,000. Something does not work. The same with basketball. The "Palau" is only full 6 or 7 days of the year when we play 40 home games in a season. Little bit. Very little. We have, in different sports, some of the world's best in their specialty, but usually the "Palau" is half full (or half empty, as you prefer). I repeat: something does not work. You see matches of other Clubs in their domestic competitions and halls are full. And, let alone "Champions" matches. Tickets are sold many days before the game. With so many experts in Marketing, New Technology, etc. Are we not able to find ways to fill a "Palau" that, at most, has a capacity of 8,000 spectators? How to fill one 10,000 or 15,000?

We have two ways. Or we accept the current model, and we'll always complain that spending is unsustainable or, we start to look seriously what others do, that fill halls and have benefits

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on Twitter: @JordiPascualP

ELECTIONS AT BARÇA (II)

In this second post about the future of Barça, I want to talk about sports model. About football. About the Sections (other sports), I will discuss it in a forthcoming.

What has made Barça a great club in recent years, beyond the victories and titles, is the way to play. A work that begins in the late 70s with people like Oriol Tort or Laureano Ruiz, but it gets the final boost from the arrival of Cruyff as coach. Cruyff carries with it the working model at Ajax, it begins to be applied to all grassroots football. So, 25 years ago. Not 4 days.

This model (a way to play, a way to train) is a mainstay when we speak of being "More than a Club". A Club where all teams play the same way, from the lowest/youngest to the top/oldest. Obviously, there are variations from one team to another, for the simple reason that the players are not all equal. But the idea is one and only one.

Now, that is gone. The first team plays in a way that has little to do with that. Some people speak of evolution, revolution, even ... Forgive me, but now is another style of play. Beyond that you like it or not. In the meantime, the youngest at the Club continue to work as usual, and the closest to the first team (Barça B, Juvenil A) are in no man's land. Neither here, nor there.

This is what they have to say potential candidates: What model they want. And how it is applied. And this means to coach people that cas apply this model. And, look for players that are adaptable to the model. And, having an effective Technical Secretariat. No point having a fantastic program (as they say is the COR, with 20,000 players in its database) if we don't sign the type of player we need (when we have to sign). This is a second premise. We've been told plenty of times in recent times that if  we don't find outside here the player we need, we will look at home. Is this "Barça's Philosophy? Excuse me, but no. If you want to do things well, the first thing is to look at home. And, if you do not find what we seek at home, then you have to go outside. But not vice versa. The club invests around 20-25M€/year in Grassroots/Academy... to go signing outside? Sorry, but I'm lost.

The Club sports model, then, must have these 3 legs: Model of play, model of training and model of recruitment/training.

The model of play must be ours, we've had so far. That is based on positional play. For all Club teams. And if a candidate wants to change, he says. Not worth what we have now: Saying one thing (that the model is not discussed), and make a different, ie play another way. And, if they want to change, they have to tell us why. This about "the model is obsolete" is a lie. The problem is that many do not yet know how the model works, and as it is difficult, or very difficult, if solutions are not found, the better thing is to change.

Similarly, and linked with the above, how to train should be the same: everyone has to train the same way (obviously, with the differences based on age: it is not the same a 9 year old boy, one of 15, or an adult). And therefore, it is needed to have trained coaches who understand how Barça works. And, apparently, once we are out of Barça, there are no coaches in the world who know the functioning of positional play. It is not time for a global approach? Similarly we have exported the  brand "Barça" across the globe in terms of a number of things, why not do it at the level of methodology?

Finally, the third leg. The recruitment and training. As I have said many times, the current recruitmenr system does not work. At least the structure. There are many trips here and there that could be solved differently, just as there are many places where there is no presence of the Club. We need to do these processes more rationally, so that there is maximum presence and hence the maximum information. And also, we have to use all ways to obtain this information. And, there are many unused. As for training, as I said before, the current model of "La Masia" is to be used. First, always, from home. And to see well the needs of the first team and search at home. It can not be that Barca B let go, especially in recent years, a lot of players that are replaced by others, that the following year are leaving again. This, I understand, means that there is no clear policy regarding the type of players they are searched/needed. Furthermore, the way that happens mostly: those who go do it for free and those that come are costing us money.

Over these three legs I understand we have to build the Barça of the future. And if a candidate believes that the legs should be a different way, say it. But in concretion. What and how he will do it. It has to be clear to all. Barça is a football Club, and it is useless to have many benefits if then the performance on the pitch is not as expected.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on Twitter: @JordiPascualP

ELECTIONS AT BARÇA (I)

It seems that the pre-electoral campaign for the elections for President of FC Barcelona which, at the latest, will be in the spring of 2016, has already begun. Beyond the possible/probable candidates, I want to make some reflections on what I think any of them should consider.

The first (and it is what this post is dedicated t), is the club model. Not model referred to the sports side, but in terms of economic and social aspects.

Barça is a club with around 150,000 owners: the "socis" (members). All with the same rights and duties. Every 6 years by universal suffrage, we choose the person who will lead us through this period.

Each year, in order to control the action of the Board, we have the General Assembly of Commissioners. First problem. The Commissioners basically are chosen through a lottery process. That is by far, if some one wants to go to the Assembly, if the machine does not pick your membership number, you will not be there. This, among other things, makes an Assembly which has more than 4,000 potential participants, only have, at crunch time, around 1,000. Few people. Very little, to decide, and often without all the required information, what we want to be done in the next period.

Moreover, one of the things that is being considered is whether the current model can increase substantially the income/benefits of the Club. At the end of the day, if the Club has no benefits, you can not sign players (if needed), you can not make improvements to infrastructure, etc.

To make it easy, we will say that basically there are 3 types of Club model. The first is the one we have said. The one that Barça has today. One where those who go to the stadium, are the owners, at 100%, of everything that represents the Club.

The second model is followed by the majority of Clubs worldwide. The Club is a Corporation with an(some) owner(s). These are the ones who decide what happens in the Club. People who go to the stadium to watch the games, unless they are shareholders, they have no say over what happens in the Club.

A third model, mainly, is used in Germany. Basically, in this model, the supporters (the "socis" for Barca) are the owners of the football club. At the same time, there is a "Corporation" that is responsible for the whole theme about marketing, advertising, etc. That is, what is the "non sport" part, the Club (ie the sports part), is the majority shareholder of the "Corporation".

The key question is: Can Barça, with its current structure, maintain the same level of income/benefits thatthe other big Clubs have?

If the answer is YES, we don't need to talk anymore. Only (and already is a big job), they should seek ways to encourage higher participation of the "socis" and, at the same time, greater control over the actions of the Board. And when I say control I do not mean an agency to audit every 5 minutes what the Board is doing. At the end of the day, when it is chosen it is because it is believed to be the best prepared to do. I mean some sort of "Parliament" or whatever you want to say, to be able to say yes or no to certain specific activities (such as money invested in signings, infrastructure, etc.). It is not that, every time we buy a laptop (for example), you have to ask this body to give its approval. No. This is the day by day of the Board. It is, roughly, the general control of the big budget items.

If the answer to the question we've done before is NO, it is necessary that we think we want to be. What and how.

Being a "Corporation", like the majority of Clubs means that, those who go to the stadium, in principle, decide nothing. Now, they do not own anymore. The owners are a group of people who invest their money and as such, their first goal is to have an economic benefit. No sports. So that we understand: winning the Champions League is good for the money paid to the entity, not the sporting event. This means that you can buy and sell players based on an income statement, not the performance that may occur in the field. The big advantage for most of the current "socis" is that our money is no longer in danger. There are others who win or lose. Like any ordinary company. Because that's what Barça would become. A company like many other that manufactures cars or drinks. Like any ordinary business, there will be some sponsors who will pay money to add their trademark on the pitch. They will be those who are entitled to tickets for the big games. So they pay. On the other hand, if we like it, it's well, and if not, too. And the day they get tired of this "toy" they will leave. They will sell their shares to others. That will continue to decide what is best for their pockets. Examples include Manchester United, AC Milan, Liverpool, PSG, etc.

The second option, if not possible the actual one, is the German model. Here is a company that represents what is the "nos-sport" side. The sports Club is still owned by the "socis", and they always have the majority of shares in the Corporation. In this sense, I recommend the following article (in Spanish) by @feriurgo which explains very clearly how the system works. It has the advantages of the availability of a lot of money. The disadvantage, as in the previous case, it would no longer be all ours. Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, etc. work with this model.

There is still another option. Accepting that we can not grow with the current system and not wanting to change. This can mean that we can be many years without winning the Champions League (and perhaps not participate at it). Moreover, this also represents that the work done with at the grassroots still have to be much higher than we do now, because we will not have the necessary money or to buy great players (when needed), or pay large wages that they have. It is to stay with the current model (assuming you can not grow up with it), with all that it would mean at all levels.

In any case, the first thing to decide the one who wants to be the next President of Barça is this. Without the definition of this model, it will be difficult to decide the sports policy, which I will talk about in the next entry.

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on Twitter: @JordiPascualP