[Funari]

Once again I have to ask two questions:

(a) In the past few weeks, many 'Barça experts' in this forum criticised former president Josep Lluis Nuñez and expressed their fear that newly elected president Joan Gaspart won't change anything and will continue Nuñez' style of leading the club. So here is my question: Could somebody explain to me what do you reproach Nuñez with? What were his main mistakes during his 22 years as club president of FC Barcelona? What do you wish to change under new president Joan Gaspart?

(b) Was there any chance for FC Barcelona to prevent Luis Figo from signing for Real? Or did Figo have the right to sign for every club willing to pay his transfer fee without getting the permission of Barça?

 

[Rondinaire]

I'm going to answer question a):
1)Taking the credit for all the club's successes
2)The sacking of Cruyff for reasons which had nothing to do with football. Cruyff had some financial dealings in Andorra and was Nuñez's main competitor
3)The lies he got Gaspart to tell about Cruyff e.g. that Cruyff celebrated a terminal illness in the Nuñez family; that he turned the Camp Nou into a Persian market, etc.
4)The way he treats the Camp Nou's neighbours, accusing them of encouraging prostitution, the Barca 2000 project.
5) His inability to hang on to the world's best players thereby perpetuating the notion that Catalans are tight-fisted and depriving us, the fans, of brilliant football
6) The way he treats future stars like Gerard, paying them a pittance
7) Giving out free tickets to the supporters clubs so they will vote for him
8)He has 30,000 elderly and loyal members who always vote for him. Another 30,000 are dead so their relatives can't vote because he doesn't facilitate or encourage members to inherit the cards
9) He tends to hold elections at times when many young people are away (who tend not to be so conservative)
10) His obsession with Cruyff. Every time he speaks in public he has something to say against him.
11) Using Catalan in public to win votes in Catalonia and then using Spanish in private with Gaspart and company
12) Using an anti-Catalan stance when he's on his tours of other parts of Spain's supporters clubs (to win votes again)
13) His continued support of the rudest, most obnoxious ambassador Holland has ever had (VG)

When I can think of more, I'll be back.

 

[Rondinaire]

14) Using his heavies to remove banners critical of his management style
15) His continued support of the violent, racistgroup: Boixos Nois
16) Getting rid of anyone sympathetic to Cruyff (Toni, the Garcia brothers, Ferrer, Ivan, etc.
17) Falling back on the other sections of the club when football is going badly
18) If you exclude the Cruyff years, Barça have only won three leagues, two Cup Winners Cups and little more since 1978 when it is the richest club in Spain

I'd like Gaspart to change all this but I fear it's unlikely because he played a major part in it.

 

[CarlosMiguel]

Sigue Roger! Well done, that was about as complete as anyone could get.

 

[Rondinaire]

Thanks CM! Why don't you have a go at answering question a). I didn't because I quite honestly don't know the answer.

 

[CarlosMiguel]

Well, to answer question b, i have to say there wasn't much FCB could have done to keep Figo. In post Bosman football, players have so much freedom. Atleast on the continent they do. I hear they have some other rules in the UK to prevent these things from happening. Basically if you find a team that is willing to pay the "clausula de resicion" to the RFER, then you can go where you want. Barca could have taken it to the high court in Brussels to complain of tampering by Madrid towards a player under contract, but when Figo signed the precontract(he DID sign it), that became impossible as well. I guess we could have improved his contract but we did that last summer so he can piss off!

 

[Funari]

Thanks for your answers! But I have a problem with Carlos Miguels answer to question b). In Germany, I think we don't have fixed transfer fees, like Figo had one ($57m) with Barcelona. So if a player intends to leave the club, the new club will have to negotiate with the player's old club about the transfer fee. And the old club could then say that they're not willing to sell the player for a transfer fee of under let's say one billion dollars, so the player has to stay with his old club!
So, once again two questions:
(aa) Do all players in Spain have fixed transfer fees?
(bb) What's the advantage for the club of fixed transfer
fees?