Jaume Guardiola: "Catalonia cannot allow Barça to be managed with bad practices"

BarcelonaLast summer, Jaume Guardiola (Barcelona, ​​1957) stepped down as president of the Círculo de Economía and the board of trustees of the Esade Foundation after a long career in the business world. The former CEO of Banc Sabadell and, previously, BBVA, is returning to the forefront with the Barça elections. He admits to being a lifelong Barça fan and losing sleep when the team loses. He also says he is worried about the club's current situation.

What is leading her to return to public life now, alongside Víctor Font?

— My reason for taking a stand and joining the Nosotros team is a civic duty. I believe that an institution like Barça, so important to the country and the city, urgently needs profound change.

In 2021 you joined Barça's economic committee when Joan Laporta was president. What has changed since then that has led you to run in these elections with a candidacy so critical of the very administration you were once part of?

— The economic committee has a presumption of independence, and I believe it should serve much more as a counterbalance. When I arrived at Barça, it was a very complex time: I was leaving the bank, and the club's situation was very complicated. At that time, Laporta was accompanied by two highly qualified professionals, Ferran Reverter and Mateu Alemany. I also felt that a figure with Laporta's personality and charisma could help take a step forward in the professionalization of the club.

And what was the reality?

— During my time on the committee, I felt comfortable. All the members contributed their opinions on key moves such as the CVC deal, the Spotify agreement, Espai Barça, and the sale of television rights. But then I left, I don't know if it was because of the withdrawal of the guarantee or also because of Ferran Reverter's departure, and things started happening that were completely incomprehensible. This disappointment led me to call Víctor one day.

Could you give us an example of one of these operations?

— For me, the first big surprise was awarding the Espai Barça project to Limak. It demonstrates a series of absolutely absurd circumstances. Limak wasn't involved in the process; they entered at the last minute and didn't meet the required criteria. They were chosen against the advice of the board member in charge of Espai Barça, and also against the advice of the project's top executive. Now Joan Sentelles is the top manager, someone whose last job was running Reus, a century-old club that has since disappeared. It's unheard of.

Is there more?

— There's also the case of the commissions in the Darren Dein case. 50 million euros to help close a deal between two parties that have been working together for 30 years. What's more, the operation didn't go through the club's hiring protocols. Unbelievable. Then there's the New Era Visionary Group case… It seems like a joke, doesn't it? My father was member number 3 when he died in July. This is the club they're leaving us. Catalan society cannot allow Barça, one of its main instruments of social development, to be managed with these bad practices, with this constant suspicion, and with this lack of transparency.

So, if you win the elections, will you review all these contracts?

— Obviously. When we arrive, we'll do the same thing Laporta did with the previous board, one forensicIt's necessary to identify what has happened with all these transactions. We also need to know what easements remain in place for the future. Once we have all the information gathered, we will take the appropriate action.

Do you suspect that someone may have been pocketing money? Your statement seems to point to willful negligence.

— To answer, I'll use a phrase the president said at the assembly: "There's none so blind as he who will not see." But I don't want to say too much; what we need to explain are the facts: partnerships with unlikely associates and exorbitant commission payments.

He mentioned earlier that during his time on the commission he was able to give his opinion on the lever of television rights. What was different about that compared to the sale to CVC that Tebas was proposing?

— Conceptually, they were the same: a forward sale. But there were notable differences. CVC was for all clubs in the League, and its revenue was recorded as capital in public limited companies, but for sports associations like Barça, it became a loan. Therefore, it didn't improve equity, and that was a drawback.

Closing the door to CVC meant not being able to renew Messi's contract.

— We hadn't considered this. The committee conducts technical and financial evaluations. That's its statutory mandate. It doesn't analyze whether a player is good or deserves a contract renewal.

What's your assessment of Barça's finances right now? Is the club far from or close to recovery?

— It depends on how it's managed. Some bad partnerships have been formed, and if so many commissions hadn't been paid, the club's finances would be in better shape. But I'm positive because the club has great potential. We don't know how much the stadium will cost, whether it's 1.5 billion or more, but once it's finished, it will be a major revenue generator. And the fact that they use players from La Masia, which is a real goldmine, has lowered wage costs. I'm optimistic. With a bit more common sense and more normal practices, it has a clear path to recovery.

If we win the elections, can you guarantee that there will be no commissions?

— This isn't the point, because the sporting side operates on commissions. For signing a player, for example. What we advocate is transparency. Barça doesn't need commission agents to have sponsors. This has never happened before. Nike has a genuine interest in being on Barça's shirt and doesn't pay commissions to clubs. If this were happening, we would say so. Being a commission agent doesn't equate to being a criminal. However, some commissions are illegal. Transparency is part of the statutory reform we're proposing, and we've signed a commitment that, if not honored, will result in our resignation or a ratification vote by the assembly.

They say the price of season tickets should be set by the member.

— The price of season tickets must be approved by the assembly. It's as simple as that.

But Barça members want it all. They want to compete for every title while maintaining the current ownership model and affordable season ticket prices. Is this sustainable?

— Yes. Barça has a huge capacity to generate revenue thanks to its brand. For many years we've had the highest wage bill in Europe without changing the ownership model. It's not true that we can't compete with that model. What's needed is to get back on track and stabilize.

Does Real Madrid rule out a hybrid ownership model like Bayern Munich's? The club is currently undergoing a process of changing its corporate structure.

— We are Catalans, not Germans. We don't need to do that. We can preserve our model if we have high-quality governance and implement a statutory reform that protects it. The club belongs to its members, not customers. Regarding Real Madrid, I think they've floated a kind of trial balloon and I'm very afraid they're going to back down.