Still surprised by the announcement on Sunday night announcing the creation of a closed competition at European level of which FC Barcelona will be part as a founder, from the Cor Blaugrana we would like to make the following considerations.
From our point of view, sports competitions must be open and based on sporting value. This league, which sells itself as one of the best clubs in Europe, has clubs that are not leaders in their leagues. On the other hand, clubs with more social importance in their countries are not part of it.
The current format of the UEFA Champions League, in practice, is not the antithesis of the Super League. Every year we see its competitiveness shrink. The possibility of games between so-called ‘big’ and ‘small’ teams is getting lower. The competition organized by UEFA needs a deep review. We need to know the value that UEFA gives to FC Barcelona, our club being one of the most important on the European continent, and how we could have a greater influence in this relationship that today does not benefit the club.
The members want to know what benefits and losses they give to the club that we own. We also believe that it is necessary to know how the evaluation of this business opportunity has been done. We believe that the club, after its recent history, needs the maximum possible transparency with its members and fans. Broken trusts need to be restored, and the only way to do that is to listen to and consider the views of club owners: the members.
We understand that Barça is going through a very complicated economic moment in the short term, which has been the result of a negligent administration for more than ten years. It gives the impression, according to the Superleague’s business plan, that it could mean a significant initial injection of money, in the form of a 350M euro loan. What we don’t understand is what other benefit, apart from the economic one, would be the participation in this competition for a sports club like Futbol Club Barcelona, especially understanding that the Barça brand is already positioned internationally.
FC Barcelona has always been characterized by being “More Than a Club”. This phrase, which has been used more as a marketing slogan in recent years, has a unique meaning in the world of football. It is precisely the Més Que Un Club that has led Barça to be the most important club in the world, with more fans and more preference, even in emerging markets.
Considering the importance of this change for the immediate future of the entity, we ask the Board of FC Barcelona that this decision to found the European Super League should be taken to an open debate and consultation with all members.
The Cor Blaugrana values all the efforts that the current Board is making to face the delicate economic situation that it received as an inheritance. But we also believe that this situation can be reversed by doing things differently, appealing to the respect of members, fans, rivals and the club environment. If we want to get out of the present moment, we must all work together.