Catalan sport's cry of alarm: "We are drowning"

BarcelonaCatalan sport is "drowning." And to raise its voice, the Appeal for Catalan Sport was presented this morning, a "united cry from the sports sector to save its model, demand fair funding, and denounce the suffocating situation," according to Gerard Esteva, president of the Union of Sports Federations of Catalonia. At an event in the Estación del Norte Municipal Sports Center, representatives from sports councils, federations, university sports, sports professionals, organizations, and athletes presented this appeal to denounce the critical situation facing sport after 15 years of cuts that have halved public investment and resulted in a 37% reduction of 10 million euros. The manifesto was presented during the press conference. We want to win, which warns that the Catalan sports model is in danger. Since 2010, public investment has fallen from €160 million to €100 million annually, leading to the deterioration of facilities, the disappearance of clubs, and the loss of opportunities for young athletes. "It's difficult to find leadership positions in clubs and organizations, as people are exhausted from fighting," said Patricia Illa, vice president of the Consells Esportius (Sports Councils). "We are being evicted from facilities to promote exploitation models that favor private funds. Our sport is threatened by this presence of investment funds managing public facilities. We need legal protection," added Jordi Arimany, representative of university sports.

Old facilities

For this reason, they are asking "to match the public budget for 2026 that all entities had in 2010." "We are asking the Catalan Government to reach an agreement, by the end of its term, to invest at least 1% of the budget in sports. Today we are at half of what we had in 2010," commented Esteva, the public face of a campaign that will seek support through a website, advertising, and calls to sports facilities. "In Catalonia, our investment has been cut by 50%, while in the same period in Spain it has doubled. In other regions, investment is doubling, and here it is being cut," he added, which makes local clubs less competitive. "And in non-competitive grassroots sports, which are key to helping older people and young people, the investments to maintain the clubs often fall on city councils or private individuals. We have very old facilities," said Pere Manuel, president of the College of Professionals in Physical Activity and Sport in Catalonia.

"This appeal seeks to bring the dire situation of our sport to the forefront of the debate and secure a genuine commitment from the government to help the newly created department of sports obtain the budget it deserves. It's all well and good to have a new Department of Sports, but if it's not given the necessary resources, it's useless," Esteva explained. The appeal calls for public investment in sports to return to 2010 levels and for a concrete plan to consolidate a 1% public budget allocation for sports over the next four years. Currently, public subsidies only cover 15% of the clubs' actual needs. And half of the public sports facilities have not undergone structural renovations for over 25 years. "We're not against big events like the Tour or the Ryder Cup. But it makes no sense to bring the best global sport to your city when your own sport is struggling," said Esteva, who pointed out that with an investment of just 1%, old facilities could be improved and "perhaps we could start thinking about the next step: building new facilities, because we have too few in Barcelona." "What we're doing today is urging the Catalan Government, but also all the political forces in the Parliament of Catalonia, to provide the Ministry of Sport with a useful, ambitious, and sufficient budget," declared Jaume Domingo, president of the Union of Sports Councils of Catalonia. The initiative seeks an immediate commitment from both the Catalan Government and the parliamentary groups to ensure that public investment in sport covers the real needs of clubs and guarantees the continuity of the national sports model.

Furthermore, there has been an urgent call for the approval of the new sports law, which would legally protect non-profit federations and clubs and guarantee preferential management of public facilities for entities based in Catalonia. "This legislation must ensure universal access to sport, dignify the responsibilities of volunteer managers, and prevent the silent privatization of facilities," emphasized Maribel Zamora, president of the Catalan Volleyball Federation.