On Monday, the first details have been revealed of what the new Camp Nou would look like. The board has presented a proposal that, according to the studies that have been conducted, will enable a new stadium to be built over the current structure, ultimately creating the same kind of stadium that would have resulted out of starting from zero. The Camp Nou would remain in Les Corts, but would look very different both on the inside and outside.

The proposal includes improved functionality, accessibility, mobility, sustainability, modernity and quality, designed to be at the service of the people, the neighbourhood and the city. This new Camp Nou would include three main areas: the Camp Nou itself, a new Palau Blaugrana for 10,000 spectators and the Espai Barça (Barça Space), which would involve buildings for different purposes integrated into the district.

The restructuring would mean moving the new Miniestadi to the Ciutat Esportiva training ground, which would seat between 6,000 and 7,000 people.

Bigger, more modern and more profitable

The Camp Nou would go from having just short of 100,000 seats as it does now to 105,000. A new, steeper first tier of terracing would vastly improve the sightlines, which are not great in some parts of the current stadium, while the second tier would largely remain the same, with the third tier being expanded. These changes would mean about 10% of the season ticket holders would have to be moved, but always to places with a better view of the field, although the definitive project has yet to be specified.

There will also be a new ring of boxes and restaurants overlooking the pitch, along with what are called ‘superboxes’ and other VIP services between the first and second tiers.. The quality of the VIP services will be vastly improved both in terms of quantity and quality (3,500 new seats would create a total of 5,700 luxury seats).

The stadium walkways and corridors will also be changed. There will be a perimeter ring to make passage between different zones smoother, and will also enable improvements to the range of culinary items on offer, as well as better cleaning services and public conveniences. Escalators and lifts will be used to reach the third tier, and the current structure will be vastly more streamlined, and will receive much more daylight. The new Camp Nou will, in short, have more facilities, better signage and will also be better adapted for disabled users.

The master camera position will also be changed to fit with UEFA requirements, and a second system of electronic advertising hoardings will be included, thus helping to boost club income.

Outside, the Camp Nou will have more parking spaces, making room for a total of 5,000 cars.

Almost four years of work

If the referendum on April 5 or 6 gives the project the go-ahead, then the work on the new Camp Nou would begin in May 2017, depending on the eventual plans and municipal permits, and take almost four years, with much of the work being done during the close-season, finalising in February 2021.

The work would be going on throughout three and a half football seasons. The work on the exterior will largely be done while the stadium is being used for matches, while the work on the terraces will be done in the summer, thus minimising the inconvenience caused to spectators. However, the biggest priority of all during the construction process will, naturally, be safety.

Despite the work, the FC Barcelona first team will be able to continue playing games at the Camp Nou regardless, which has been another priority of the project. So, there will be no major effect on ground capacity.

Today’s announcement comes after a year and a half of studies, an investment that has cost around one million euros. The club has been working with ISG (a company specialising in identifying and optimising new sources of income and improving the spectator experience in new stadiums), AEG (which organises sports and entertainment events), ICON Venue Group (a company specialising in project management, and stadium development around the world) and Ryder Levett Bucknall (a company specialising in the financial control and management of projects).

Following the extraordinary meeting of the Club's Board of Directors President Sandro Rosell revealed the unanimous decision to submit the proposal to build a new stadium on top of the current structure to a members' referendum, set for 5 or 6 April.

The President explained:"the option of building a new stadium on a new site has been dismissed as the final cost could well mortgage the Club's future".

The project, which all the Club's members can consult, includes a proposal for a new Palau Blaugrana and the development of an Espai Barça.

Below we reproduce President Rosell's speech

Today, the Board of Directors have unanimously decided to submit the project to build a new Camp Nou on the existing structure of the stadium, to a referendum of all Club members.

The Board has decided not to go forward with the option of building a new stadium in the area proposed to them near the Avenida Diagonal.

This was a difficult decision. Both projects were very attractive, but our commitment was to submit to a referendum projects which were viable from a technical, urban planning and economic standpoint.

Following an in-depth analysis, taking advice from top international experts, the Board has decided that the best option is to stay in Les Corts.

The architectural plan of our current stadium is such that 56 years after its construction, it can serve as the base for our future project.

The Camp Nou is part of our collective memory. It is the largest stadium in Europe and is an icon of the city of Barcelona.

The option of building a new stadium on a new site has been dismissed as the final cost could well mortgage the Club and its members and tie the hands of future Boards.

The project we have chosen is achievable. To continue leading the field, we need to take this historic step, which will need the efforts of all of us, but which will guarantee the comfort of a new stadium with the most up to date technologies for its users and our sports people. We will also multiply the value of our property and our ability to generate new additional earnings without the need to sell or reduce our patrimony.

We believe in this project because it is achievable alongside our constant search for sporting excellence.

This new project also includes the construction of a new Palau Blaugrana, as well as the development of the land called Espai Barça. We will have a new sports hall which will maintain the spirit of our current Palau, whilst adapting to current needs. The new Palau will strengthen our commitment to a wide range of sports.

It is very important to stress that we are able to take on this project because of the reduction in our debt which we have achieved over recent years and which is an objective we will continue to work on. The economic efforts we have made are beginning to bear fruit and we can go into this operation with the maximum guarantees.

I can say, now more than ever, that the best is still to come and I would like to invite all our members to use this project as a unifying element.

This Board of Directors is proposing to our members the construction of a new stadium on top of the current structure of the Camp Nou. It will be other Borads of Directors who will have to preserve this patrimony, as others and other Presidents have preserved the current Camp Nou.

We will be informing members over the next few weeks concerning the project itself and they will be able to see it and ask questions. Finally, when all these questions have been answered they will decide in a clear referendum if this project goes forward to fruition.

The detailed calendar for the referendum process will be released over the next few days and we are planning to hold the vote itself on the weekend of April 5/6, coinciding with the game to be played at the Camp Nou.

It will be the collective opinion of the Club’s members which will allow us to consolidate this project and project this Club as a definitively global entity, firmly established amongst the great football clubs.

Before my fellow Board members Javier Faus and Jordi Moix explain the details of the project we will be presenting to the members, I would like to thank the Board, the Director General and the Club executives and employees for the total dedication and passion they have shown towards this project and also the Barcelona City Council for their collaboration.

I would also like to remember our Presidents Agustí Montal Galobart and Francesc Miró-Sans. It was they and their Boards who projected our future so successfully with the original Camp Nou and all of us have to push this project forward with the same determination, aware that it will not be easy and will require great effort from us all, but that we will improve our inheritance and leave to future generations a jewel which will guarantee that our history and our legend continue to grow".

This January, FC Barcelona will be launching a Memorial Space with a provisional space with capacity for nearly 500 urns, illustrated with representative images of the Club and housed in the Les Corts cemetery. The project was presented this Friday by  Josep Ramon Vidal-Abarca, board member responsible for installations and security, together with Santi Bach, Executive Officer of  Giem Sports.

This is the first step in the project to include a Memorial Space in the future in the  Camp Nou itself .Vidal-Abarca explained that the project was being set up: “ in response to a historic demand from members and fans who wanted their remains to rest here at the Camp Nou”, although the site of this first phase is still provisional.  "We have been made aware of the desire of many members to do something like this and we are trying to find a solution”. According to Santi Bach, the space aims to provide:"a permanent link with the Club”.

The service is available for the provisional mausoleum opening in the Les Corts Cemetary ahead of the future project for a Memorial Space at the Camp Nou. The Mausoleum is decorated with the words of the Club song and the Club badge. Although the service is available from today, the concessionary period will not begin until the ashes are definitively stored in the Camp Nou Memorial Space. Spaces will be assigned in the order in which concessions are acquired.

First step towards definitive Memorial Space

The second stage of the project will involve the construction of a Memorial Space at the Camp Nou itself, which according to Santi Bach "will become the biggest in the world within a sporting installation” with capacity for 30,000 urns. Each niche will form part of a large photo ceramic image of great sentimental value to Barça fans. The space will also have commemorative plaques for all members or fans who wish for their name to form a permanent part of the Stadium.

Price and contracting

The Memorial Space offers personal financing for members – who will have special conditions – and the general public, regardless of whether they have life insurance or not. The Space will also offer a personalised funeral service management including all necessary paperwork.

There are two types of individual concessions:

Maximum of  50 years at a cost of  3,000 Euros + VAT. For a 99 year concession, 6,000 Euros + VAT

There is also a single concession for a communal arc:

Perpetual concession – 1,500 euros + VAT

The service can be contracted via:

·The customer attention telephones at the Memorial Space: 902 151 025 / 93 785 10 45

·The Memorial Space website: www.emfcbarcelona.cat

·Any official sales point of  iUNIK STORE and other authorised points:

    iUNIK STORE Barcelona, Via Augusta, 16 (Barcelona)

    iUNIK STORE TERRASSA, Font Vella, 26 (Terrassa)

Giem Sports is the company charged with setting up and managing the FC Barcelona Memorial Space. This Catalan company is a pioneer in the creation of this type of installation and currently manages the Memorial Spaces at Atletico Madrid, RCD Espanyol and  Real Betis, as well as the Circuit de Catalunya.

The full video of Monday night's press conference after the extraordinary Board meeting concerning the new project for the Camp Nou. President Sandro Rosell,vice president Javier Faus and Board Members Jordi Moix and Toni Freixa all spoke at the press conference.

The Board Member in charge of Patrimony, Jordi Moix, believes the new project for the development of the Camp Nou is Moix believes the new Camp Nou is “exciting, sustainable and necessary". He explained that if the project is approved in the referendum of April 5/6, the new Camp Nou will "definitively consolidate our prime asset in the best possible place to help us continue to be a reference for the whole world”.

Moix also assured the assembled media: “the proposal is compatible with the needs of the Club and its integration with the neighbourhood and the city. Investing in our assets is vital for the competitiveness of the team and the Club, which we all want”

18 month long process

The Board have taken 18 months on the project so far, with an initial investment of about one million Euros and Sr Moix explained: “it was the time to look at everything and we wanted to be able to consider everything. That’s why we created a work group – made up of 18 people- which considered the specifics of our Club, the needs of our members and the experience of other installations such as the Bayern Munich, Arsenal or Athletic Bilbao stadiums”.

Discarded options

The first phase of the process looked at a total of five options for the new Camp Nou. The first three options were soon discarded – the first proposed a new stadium on the site of the Miniestadi and was dismissed because of lack of space. The second involved knocking down the current stadium in phases, which proved too technically complex and the third echoed the solution chosen in Bilbao, but was dismissed because of the reduction in capacity.

This meant that the two options which were finally considered were that of a new stadium on the Diagonal and the chosen option of building onto the present structure of the existing stadium.

“The second phase lasted over the last six months and we finally arrived at the decision to discard the option of the Diagonal, primarily because of the cost implied in this option, close to 1,200,000 Euros, which was a cost which we could not assume. The technical circumstances were also very complex, though we felt that they were achievable”.

Model will soon be available

Moix also explained that  “within a month and a month and a half”, members would be able to examine the model  of the project so that they can make a clearer decision on the day of the referendum.

Should the referendum approve the project, the Club will open an architectural competition  to choose the final details: “the front of the ground and the covering will be the final part of the process, but there is a long way to go till then”.

Before that, the Club members and fans should: “call on the spirit  of 1922(when the original Les Corts Stadium was inaugurated), of 1957 (when the Camp Nou was opened) and 1982 (the date of the stadium’s remodelling for the World Cup), as well as that shown for the 1992 Olympic Games”.

The Project for the new Camp Nou will cost 600 million Euros, 420 of which will be for the new stadium, 90 for the new Palau and the other 90 for the parking spaces, the Espai Barça and the new Mini Estadi amongst other items.  Javier Faus explained that the project will be financed over eight years (2016-2024), primarily from the Club’s own resources. “We will not mortgage a whole generation of Barça fans to pay for this project. We have decided against any big contributions from members or from organisations outside of the Club. This implies that the Club can continue to manage itself in a sustainable way”.

Javier Faus also stressed that as Sandro Rosell has made clear, the project shouldn’t affect any sporting part of the Club: “this is a new Camp Nou, which is sustainable and won’t put our sporting excellence at risk”.

Financing the project

There are four possible sources for financing the project. Faus announced that the Club had decided against giving a sponsor the chance to give a name to the stadium, but explained there was an option for a company to have title rights to the stadium for 20 or 25 years which could bring in 150 million Euros. Another 50 million could be gained from letting out spaces to hotels and shops.

The rest of the finance will come from the Club’s own resources – with the Club’s debt reduced to 200 million Euros a new credit of 200 million would be requested, whilst a further 200 would come from what Faus called “internal financing”. “We have to continue to reduce the debt and continue to generate the 30 million a year we have been doing. The new project will also generate an additional  30 million Euros”, primarily through hospitality, ticketing and publicity.

FC Barcelona institutional vice-president Carles Villarrubí will participate in a symposium this Tuesday in London organised by the Generalitat’s Governmental Delegation to the United Kingdom and Ireland. Members of the British press core, Catalan correspondents to London and the UK are expected to attend.

Barça will be the focus during the press dinner, which is held annually in January, and vice-president Villarubí will explain to the audience the principal characteristics that define the Club in its institutional, athletic and historic aspects.

Influential media

The country’s most influential press outlets are expected to attend: The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, the BBC and STV, in addition to Irish and Scottish journalists. Catalan and Spanish reporters are also expected to attend.

The event, which is hosted annually by the Delegation of the Generalitat in the United Kingdom, focuses on issues related to promoting Catalonia. In past editions of the event representatives of the Tourism Board were the main speakers, last year, for example, the president of Vueling, Alex Cruz, spoke about the importance of Barcelona’s growing aeronautical influence in Europe.

From the moment that FC Barcelona authorised the Penya Barcelonista Knokke-Heist in Belgium in February 2013, its members were clear that solidarity actions were going to be one of the Penya’s main activities and all 300 members have been working with that objective in mind.

Succesful first action

Their first action came about in April 2013 when a charity dinner raised funds for 3 fresh water pumps for Cambodia, capable of providing drinking water to five families.

With the support of the Trailblazer Foundation, the project was put into action and in November the club president Vanderhust Daniel visited Cambodia to see the pumps in action.

Work goes on

Like many other penyes, the club continues its solidarity work and looking for ways to help the less fortunate and they have planned another charity dinner for May this year,

As ambassadors for FC Barcelona, the penya stresses the importance of solidarity – a key value of the Club.

On Tuesday, in London, Institutional Vice President  of FC Barcelona, Carles Vilarrubí, took part in a dinner symposium organised by the Delegation of the Catalan Government in the UK, where he explained the identity of Barça and the Club  model, before fifty British journalists, together with Catalan and Spanish press correspondents, in the English capital.

Based on the slogan "Barça more than a club" Vilarrubí explained the main features that define the Club in its institutional, sporting and historical aspects. At the end he opened the floor to questions, and discussed various aspects of FC Barcelona and football in general. The organisation of sports competitions, the strategies of the big clubs, and their future challenges were some of the underlying issues that were addressed during this informal 'off the record' discussion. Current events were also discussed, like the next round of the Champions League where FC Barcelona will meet Manchester City.

One of the topics discussed was the role played by Barça, and its positioning with regard to the ongoing political process in Catalonia, a very valid subject in the UK with the Scottish referendum, and of particular interest to the British media present at the dinner, which included newspapers such as 'The Independent','The Daily Record' and 'The Financial Times', news agencies like Reuters and television networks like the BBC and the CNN delegation in the United Kingdom. Also not wanting to miss the event, which was hosted by the delegate of the Catalan Government in the UK, Josep Suarez, were a wide range of media correspondents in London from Catalonia and the rest of Spain.

This is a regular meeting of the Delegation of the Catalan Government in the UK that aims to address issues related to the promotion of Catalonia. In previous years, for example, representatives of tourism and catering took part, whilst last year the speaker was the Chairman of Vueling, Alex Cruz, who spoke about the importance of the Barcelona projection from the airline and airport standpoint.

The Board of Directors will gather for a meeting at the Club offices this Thursday at noon. At the conclusion of the special Board meeting there will be a press conference in the Ricard Maxenchs Press Room at 7:30 PM CET. The conference will be streamed live on the FC Barcelona website, and broadcast on Barça TV.

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After the Board of Directors’ extraordinary meeting, Sandro Rosell resigned as FC Barcelona president. The first vice president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, will immediately assume the presidency for the rest of the term, through 2016. Below is Sandro Rosell’s speech:

“Close to four years ago, during the Club’s 2010 elections, thousands of FC Barcelona members cast their ballots with the excitement of showing who they wanted to take the reins of the Club. That day was unforgettable, it was a democratic festival that reinforced the greatness of our Barça.

On that day, 61% of the votes gave the team that I led the charge to direct the destiny of the Club until 2016.

In these four years we have enjoyed and suffered because we are Barcelonistas, just as many generations of Blaugranas have enjoyed and suffered for more than a century.

In all of these years we have seen that our successes are the result of our victories on the pitch and overcoming innumerable obstacles off the pitch: political, external and, what’s worse, at times the pressure has come from our own environment. In the last four years we have won one Champions League, one Club World Cup, two Ligas, one Copa del Rey, one European Super Cup, three Spanish Super Cups and one Copa Cataluña. In addition, our other professional teams have triumphantly paraded our colours around the world showing the character of our multi-sports Club.

Today the Blaugrana feeling is felt worldwide, and it will continue to be felt around the world in the future.

Our global athletic leadership that began with Ronaldinho in the Paris final, and continued with Messi in Rome and London, was coupled with effective economic management, which allowed us to continue to be competitive, reduce our debt, restore and expand the Club’s estate. In addition, we are proud that the best players in the world don our colours.

To this we add the immense excitement of presenting the construction of a new stadium on the foundations of our magical and legendary Camp Nou, which the Club members must ratify via referendum in April.

But this period of success has also brought us very difficult moments. For some time my family and myself have suffered threats and attacks in silence. These threats and attacks have made me wonder if being president means having to jeopardise my family.

In recent days an unfair and reckless accusation of misappropriation has resulted in a lawsuit against me in the Audiencia Nacional. From the beginning I have said that the signing of Neymar Junior has been correct and his signing has caused despair and envy in some of our adversaries.

The right of the Club members to be informed needs to be compatible with the defence of the Club and confidentiality of certain matters and facts. This confidentiality is essential in the world of football because otherwise the Club could be damaged.

The Board of Directors is a team. And this team leads a project that has brought the Club great success. I don’t want unfair attacks to negatively affect their management or the image of the Club. This is why I think my time here has come to an end.

Now, in accordance with the Club’s Statutes, I have presented my irrevocable resignation of the presidency of FC Barcelona to the Board of Directors.

From this moment, just as the directors announced, in accordance with our Statutes, the first vice-president of the Club, Josep Maria Bartomeu, will immediately assume the presidency of the Club until the end of the term, through 2016, just as the Board unanimously agreed a few moments ago.

It has been an honour to serve the Barcelonistas. It has been a privilege to be the president of FC Barcelona. I wish nothing but the best to the new president and I ask the Club members for their support. I sincerely thank the employees of the Club, the players and the managers. My special thanks to the directors who have accompanied me on this voyage.

I also thank my family. They, in the end, are the essence of my life. They are the most important thing to me.

Thank you all.

Visca el Barça and Visca Catalunya”

Sandro Rosell steps down from his post after three and a half years as president of FC Barcelona. Here’s an overview of his tenure:

ATHLETIC AREA

• A total of 60 titles were won by the Club’s professional teams (10 football titles, 10 basketball titles, 13 handball titles, 7 roller hockey titles, 13 futsal titles and 7 women’s football titles).

• Among them, we highlight the Club’s fourth Champions League title and the second Club World Cup title. In addition, the handball European Cup (2010/11) and the UEFA Futsal Cup (2011/12) were also won.

• In the 2011/12 season the Club’s record for the most titles won in a single year was broken when 17 titles were secured.

• A total of seven players were signed for the first team: Adriano, Mascherano (2010), Alexis, Cesc (2011), Jordi Alba, Song (2012) and Neymar Jr (2013).

• This season, 17 of the 25 players that form the first team are products of the Club’s youth academy. Since 2010, a total of 24.5 million euros have been invested in the Club’s youth academy.

• In 2011 the new Masia, Centro de formacón Oriol Tort, opened after an investment of 9 million euros.

ECONOMIC AREA

• Austerity measures have been implemented in addition to economic policies that guarantee the sustainability of the Club and prioritise athletic excellence.

• In the 2011/12 season a record profit of 49 million euros was generated and in the 2012/13 season the Club finished the fiscal year with a profit of 32 million euros.

• The Club’s debt has also been reduced. The net debt on June 30, 2010, was 430 million euros and in 2013 it fell to 331 million.

• More than 35 million euros have been invested in the Club’s installations and facilities since 2010.

• The land sold to the Ciutat Esportiva for 21.6 million euros was recovered and the sale of the Miniestadi was prevented.

• Barça is the number 1 brand in world football. The team’s kits are the most sold in the history of the Club.

SOCIAL AREA

• FC Barcelona are an independent, socially inclusive and transversal Club.

• Club members have been reaffirmed that they are the owners of the Club.

• Statutes reforms give members more power and they encourage participation and establish mechanisms that guarantee economic control of the Club.

• The season ticket waiting list has been streamlined, for the first time in nine years 361 new season tickets were issued to members, 14 of whom have disabilities.

• The census was updated, this also includes members of the Club’s supporters clubs. There are a total of 138,454 supporters clubs members and 1,354 supporters clubs around the world.

• The Club’s social headquarters has been equipped with the latest technology and contributions have been made to consolidate the OAB, OAP and OAE offices.

• Just as Rosell promised, season tickets prices have not gone up.

• Online, FC Barcelona have become the leading athletic club worldwide (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Tencent Weibo, Instagram, Line). The biggest growth has been on Facebook: three years ago the Club only had 2.4 million followers; now there are more than 52 million.

After Sandro Rosell revealed that he was stepping down as president of FC Barcelona, Josep Maria Bartomeu announced that he was assuming control of the Club. The former first vice-president confirmed “the continuation of the Board’s project until 2016.”

The following is Josep Maria Bartomeu’s speech:

“Sandro, President Rosell, friend, thank you very much for what you have done. We are very grateful. It hurts us that you have made this decision because you know that you have all of our support and the support of the members.

It has been an honour to work with you all of these years and this experience will live in our memories forever.

My first action as president of FC Barcelona is to announce the continuity of the Board’s project until 2016. We feel very strong. We were the most voted candidacy in the 2010 elections.

We will continue to work toward, and employ, the values that have guided us throughout these years and we will do so with enthusiasm and with the utmost commitment to maintain the excellence in the athletic, economic and social areas.

We have achieved a lot of goals in the past three years, but we still have a lot to accomplish.

I ask the members of the Club for their support. I want to encourage them to continue supporting the project that has brought us so much success and will bring us more success in the future.

Our challenges and objectives are valid. The first team and our professional teams will have our continued support and they will have the necessary resources to challenge for all of the titles.

The future of the Camp Nou will continue to be a priority for this Board of Directors. A lot is at stake with this project – our future for the upcoming decades – and members have the final word when the referendum comes up in April.

This Club belongs to the members and I will do everything in our power to consolidate the the Club where it is now, at the highest point in its history.

My final point: we will be very firm in our defence and we will demand the utmost respect for the Club in all athletic, political and judicial aspects.

In conclusion, we will have a Board of Directors meeting tomorrow, and then we will hold a press conference where I will gladly answer all of your questions.

Thank you all.

Visca el Barça and Visca Catalunya.”

The father of Neymar Jr., Neymar da Silva, has authorised the Club to lift the confidentiality clauses in his son’s contract and this Friday evening, the Club President Josep Maria Bartomeu, assisted by the Director of the Football Management Area, Raül Sanllehí, explained all the figures involved in the transfer: “we have not lied. Football games are won on the pitch, not behind closed doors in offices . We lost Di Stefano in an office, but we’ve not lost Neymar”, insisted the Club’s new President, adding: “when Barça wanted to sign Neymar, the representatives of all Europe’s top clubs were in Brazil trying to get his services for their teams”.

Sr Bartomeu revealed that Neymar’s father considered the recent reports about the signing were unjust and the President stressed the fact that his son had always preferred Barça, despite bigger offers from other clubs: “he preferred to come to Barça ahead of other European clubs who would have paid much more. Neymar Jr. believes in Barça’s values and also really wanted to play alongside Leo Messi”. Bartomeu and Sanllehí had thus decided to come forward with all the figures from the transfer to rebut the stories recently published in the Spanish press. The Club had also decided to reveal the player’s salary, though Sanllehí made it quite clear that: “we will not speak in public again about a player’s wages”.

Cost – 57.1 Million Euros

“We are very proud of the Neymar contract, but it seems like we are being asked to apologise for it. It was a very tough negotiation”, according to Raül Sanllehí, who personally headed the team which hammered out the deal. The Director of the Football Management Area said he very much regretted that the figures surrounding the transfer had been leaked, but again insisted that the global cost of the transfer was  57.1 million Euros, to which a bonus of 2 million Euros will be added if Neymar finishes in the top three of the Ballon D’Or.

As well as explaining again the figures paid to Santos – 17 million Euros – and the 40 million Euro compensation paid to  N&N (Neymar da Silva and Nadine, the players parents), the Club also revealed the player’s salary. The total salary cost to the Club is 56.7 million Euros (gross), which is divided into three concepts: 2.7 million Euros as agent commission (5%, rather than the 10 or 15% paid by other clubs) , a 10 million Euro signing on fee and a guaranteed salary of 44 million Euros.

Transparent, but discreet dealings

FC Barcelona have also struck a number of agreements with organisations connected to the player, such as the Fundació Neymar Jr., a commercial agent to link Neymar’s image with the Club’s in Brazil, an agreement with Santos concerning academy players  and with N&N, who will scout young talent at the Brazilian club.

Raül Sanllehí summed up the Club’s dealings in this matter by claiming: “transparency is very important, but transparency handled properly, because if you open the door too wide, it becomes indiscreet and that can work against the interests of the Club”.

[[DES_1]]The FC Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu and his Board of Directors feel strong and are determined to take on the challenges and projects they began under Sandro Rosell in the summer of 2010. “We feel strong and able to do everything we set out to. I’d ask the members to have confidence in myself and the board . We are the same group who have been running the Club during these four years with Sandro Rosell.  This is not a break, it’s a continuation – we are the same people and we are excited about the future”.[[DES_2]]

Answering questions from journalists, Bartomeu ruled out new elections: “we have a project which we believe in and which we are carrying out successfully and I can see no reason to call for new elections because we are doing a good job on an economic, social and sporting level”. Amongst the projects which have been undertaken are the remodelling of the Camp Nou, something which Bartomeu claimed: “inspires us to go on until 2016”.  The President also reminded journalists that: “the Club statutes allow the Board to continue and state that if the President resigns, it is the first Vice-President who should take over. I formed part of a list which won more votes than any other in the history of the Club. The project hasn’t finished – we have important challenges ahead of us and we want to push forward”. Sr Bartomeu also  insisted that the Board would not allow the referendum on the new Camp Nou to become a vote of confidence in the new President.

[[CITA_1]]

The President also made it clear that:“even if the lawsuit is widened to include myself and vice-president Faus (who both signed contracts with Neymar), we won't be resigning. We feel strong. Sr Rosell didn’t resign just for this business, he also had personal reasons. We did all we could to convince him not to resign, but it was impossible because he was very clear in his own mind. As President – and also as Vice-President before that, he brought such a lot to the Club”.

 “This is a unique and unrepeatable occasion  - I didn’t need to think twice when the post was offered to me. I’ll have a different way of doing things – not better or worse, just different. We will be working for Barça, making every effort to improve as a Club and to lead the world of sport”.[[CITA_2]]

A big part of that leadership will be down to Leo Messi and the President explained he'd soon be talking to the player's agent  - his father Jorge Messi -about improving his contract: “Messi is the best player in the world and we want him to continue to be the best paid player”.

Looking to 2016, Bartomeu, who looked relaxed throughout, explained: “our idea is to stand for re-election – we feel that responsibility. When we won in 2010, the idea was to be in charge over two mandates and we will do that. I hope that my fellow Board members will continue to show confidence in me in 2016”.

Finally, Sr Bartomeu explained that having been able to reveal all the information concerning Neymar’s transfer: “has taken a weight off us and allows us to be even more honest with the members”

Starting tonight at the Malaga game, FC Barcelona will greet their fans from all over the world before every match at the Camp Nou with a welcome message in English to be announced over the stadium's PA system.

The message will greet fans by saying: “visitors from all over the world, welcome to Camp Nou, FC Barcelona’s legendary and magical home. We are delighted to have you here and we hope you enjoy the game. Thank you very much for coming and we hope to see you back again very soon” and will be heard before every game at the Stadium, once the teams have finished their warm ups.

The message is a further step in the Club's attempts to make foreign fans at the Club feel at home and will be announced alongside Manel Vich's traditional welcome before every game.

Josep Maria Bartomeu will experience his first match at the Camp Nou – against Málaga – as FC Barcelona president. It’s been a long and busy day for Bartomeu as it started out with the traditional meal between directors from both Barça and Málaga.

On this occasion, the meal was hosted at a restaurant in the centre of Barcelona, and the president was accompanied by vice-president Jordi Cardoner and the treasurer Susana Monje. Before the meal, Bartomeu and Málaga’s advisory director Francisco Martín Aguilar posed for photographs.

The president talked to the press and he called for unity within the Club: “We’re halfway through what looks to be a very good season, we have to support the team.”

Josep Maria Bartomeu watched his first match at the Camp Nou as president of FC Barcelona. It was a special day for the new president who, after the meal in which directors from both Barça and Málaga attended, went to the Club and held a series of meetings. After he received the support from members and fans on his way to the Camp Nou from his office, he finally arrived the presidential box of the Camp Nou.

Speaking to Barça TV before the match, Bartomeu said that he expects to have the necessary luck required to run a Club like FC Barcelona. “We are all eager for this to go forward. We will work very hard, with responsibility and with high standards, just like we’ve done up until now.” Just as he indicated on Friday during his first press conference as president, he reiterated that he’s “excited about the project that we started in 2010. We still have many objectives to achieve and the biggest one is the referendum on the Camp Nou. We want the Club members to give us their opinions. It’s a very useful project and necessary for the future of the Club.”

On Friday Bartomeu met with the first team. The president believes that this week’s events won't affect the team’s performance on the pitch. “The team are off to the side [in this regard], they need to concentrate on football.”

Speaking to Canal+ Bartomeu explained the there will be some changes in the Board of Directors in the coming days. He also talked about Leo Messi and about the rumours that PSG are considering an offer for the player. “He’s very happy in Barcelona and I doubt he’ll go anywhere. He was born here, he’s a Culé among Culés and he really cares for the colours. He’s eager to finish his footballing career at Barça.”

With the Dakar champions

That evening, in the presidential box, the president met with Marc Coma and Laia Sanz, winners of Dakar’s car and women’s motorcycle races, respectively. In attendance was Pep Vila, who participated in the Dakar truck race.

Last week was a fairly intense at Can Barça so we put together a summary of some of the most important articles just in case you missed any of them. The following list details the Josep Maria Bartomeu's ascent to the presidency of FC Barcelona, Sandro Rosell's resignation, details on the new Camp Nou and Neymar Jr's contract:

• Sandro Rosell resigns and Josep Maria Bartomeu will assume the presidency of FC Barcelona until 2016

• The three and a half years of Sandro Rosell’s presidency

• Detailed figures of Neymar transfer

• Josep Maria Bartomeu announces the continuation of the Board’s project until 2016

• Josep Maria Bartomeu asks for support: “We are the same group"

• A new stadium built on the same structure

• Referendum on new stadium to be built over existing structure on 5/6 April

• Moix: “It's an exciting project, which is sustainable and necessary”

• New Camp Nou project cost set at 600 million Euros