Three key points for September 24th Assembly
Board spokesperson Toni Freixa announced that the next Assembly of Members Representatives will take place on September 24th , coinciding with the city fiestas and the game against Atletico Madrid.
The Assembly will take place on Saturday September 24th , with a first calling at 15.00 and a second half an hour later. According to Toni Freixas, the Assembly will. “ratify the contract with Qatar Sports Investments, the initiative ‘Camp Nou sense fum’ and approve the project of the ‘grada d’animació’”. The board spokesman insisted: “we understand that the members wish to have their say and we are determined that they should have the final word”.
Qatar deal Referring to the Qatar Foundation contract, Freixa explained: “there was an agreement made at the 2003 Assembly which authorises the inclusion of publicity on the shirts, so this consultation is not actually required by the statutes, but for us it is simply a question of respect and consideration for the members’ wishes”. At the same time, he pointed out that “the board believe this is the best sponsorship deal possible and that the members will agree with us on this”.
No smoking rules
The decision to forbid smoking at the Camp Nou will also be discussed and Toni Freixa explained: “the board recommended a ban on smoking and we announced that it would be put to the Assembly to include it in the Club regulations, as has been done in other countries”.
New “grada d’animació” plans
A further point for the Assembly is the creation of “grada d’animació” and Freixas pointed out: “we aren’t just bringing this up again- this is a new proposal with strict security measures”.
MORE THAN A CLUB
The slogan “more than a club” is open-ended in meaning.
It is perhaps this flexibility that makes it so appropriate for defining the complexities of FC Barcelona’s identity, a club that competes in a sporting sense on the field of play, but that also beats, every day, to the rhythm of its people’s concerns. FC Barcelona is “more than a club” in Catalonia because it is the sports club that most represents the country and is also one of its greatest ambassadors. Also, for different reasons, FC Barcelona is “more than a club” for many people living elsewhere in Spain, who see Barça as a staunch defender of democratic rights and freedom.
Today, football has become a global phenomenon, and support for Barcelona has spread spectacularly around the world. The number of club members from outside of Catalonia and Spain is increasing daily, and the club wants to respond to that show of passion for Barça. This has developed into a need and an obligation. And the best way for the club to do that has been to take a step further and become “more than a club around the world” as well. This Barça that is so concerned for its people needs to be globalised. This caring and humanitarian Barça needs to be globalised. It is a strategic decision that is in keeping with the club’s history and the way that football is continuing to develop on a worldwide basis.
That is why the club has decided to contribute 0.7 per cent of its ordinary income to the FC Barcelona Foundation in order to set up international cooperation programmes for development, supports the UN Millennium Development Goals and has made a commitment to Unicef’s humanitarian aid programs through the donation of one and a half million euros for the next five years and now wears the Unicef logo on its shirts. An agreement that has made Barça unique.
