Interview with marketing vice-president Ferrer (2)

Barcelona marketing vice-president Jaume Ferrer gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.





At what phase is the American football franchise? (note: the interview dates from before the announcement of the withdrawal of the MLS bid)
The people at MLS will contact us soon if they accept that and the conditions that we have asked. And there are many.

MLS is sponsored by Adidas and Barca wears Nike. Is that a conflict of interests?
Nike also sees it as an opportunity, but it's something that needs resolving, of course. We can't do anything unless Nike also agrees.

And how will it be solved?
It may be that the team won't wear the Barca crest or that it won't be called Barca, or won't have our colors... All of this we will consider and we will analyze once they give us the franchise.

It won't take off until 2010...
And that would already be soon. We need to create the club, find the players... it's a long process. Once we get the franchise, we will always have it.

Why the USA?
We know how to make the club grow past the 450 or 500 million euros worth of income. After this, the ideas end. The only way is from a strong international expansion. We've always thought that the USA is one of the places where we can grow the most.

You think so?
There are 40 million Hispanics that like football, there are television channels that specialize in it - ESPN and FOX - and it's the country where the world's most important companies are.

Within a year and a few months, the elections for the presidency of FC Barcelona will take place. Will the current club board present your candidacy?
I think that our management that we've done has been very positive. We are willing to continue and we need to present a candidate with a serious project. And that will be decided within the next few months. We'll keep on working for the club and we will prepare ourselves in similar fashion.

Laporta won't be able to present himself. A candidate must be from the actual board...
There are many members of the board, more than two, three or four, that will make great presidents of FC Barcelona.

Is Jaume Ferrer preparing himself for being president of Barca?
I see myself working for FC Barcelona, within a directive board, with much hope. After that I don't see myself doing anything.

And have your fellow members asked you?
It's something that I woult then definitely think about but we'll see what happens. Right now we can't make any prediction but we should think about finishing the season in the best way possible. We can't distract ourselves from all of this.

What must a Barca president have?
He must be a person capable of handling pressure and must have very clear ideas.

How will Joan Laporta be judged after a few years?
History will recognize Laporta as one of the best presidents that FC Barcelona has had. All you have to look at is how the club was and how it is now. In 2003 it was losing money, and now we make more than we spend. We had a roster that couldn't qualify for the Champions Leage and now it's fighting for titles. From 100,000 socios we now have more than 160,000. And most importantly, we have recovered the pride in being a Barcelonist.

Translated by: Al


This was the second part of this interview. You can read the first part here:
Interview with marketing vice-president Ferrer