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Barcelona`s presidential election becoming child`s play
Barcelona, June 13: Candidates in Barcelona`s presidential election are coming to resemble children arguing over football stickers in the playground, as the David Beckham effect threatens to take over the campaign.
Barcelona, June 13: Candidates in Barcelona's presidential election are coming to resemble children arguing over football stickers in the playground, as the David Beckham effect threatens to take over the campaign.
Beckham for Ronald Koeman, Christian Vieri for Mateja Kezman, Cristian Chivu for Hernan Crespo. Ever since news broke of Manchester United's willingness to do a deal with Joan Laporta for Beckham -- subject to the England captain agreeing personal terms -- the race for the top job at one of the world's biggest sporting clubs has been thrown wide open.
Laporta was a rank outsider at the start of the race, but he is now neck and neck with the favourite Lluis Bassat ahead of Sunday's (June 15) vote.
Bassat, a highly respected 61-year-old publicist, responded to the news of Beckham's link with Laporta by announcing on Wednesday (June 11) that he had made contact with Ajax Amsterdam with a view to signing Ronald Koeman as coach.
Koeman scored the winning goal for Barcelona in their sole European Cup triumph in 1992 and the Dutchman has made a good start to his coaching career in the Netherlands.
Bassat is banking on the combination of Guardiola and Koeman to outweigh the attraction of Beckham, but the choice for voters is not quite as simple as that.
In a move that may turn out to be of real importance to Barcelona's future, Jordi Majo announced on Wednesday that he had secured a deal to sign Kezman from PSV Eindhoven.
Kezman scored 35 goals last season, making him the highest scorer in a major European league and the Serbia & Montenegro forward would be a popular signing among Barcelona fans.
Majo is a back marker in the electoral race but his deal is not dependent on him becoming president. That means whoever wins Sunday's vote could bring to the club what they have been looking for all season -- a natural goalscorer with a bright future.
It won't be enough to settle the contest in Majo's favour but it could be a way of saving face for the winning candidate if the likes of Beckham, Koeman and Vieri choose not to come.
Bureau Report
Bassat is banking on the combination of Guardiola and Koeman to outweigh the attraction of Beckham, but the choice for voters is not quite as simple as that.
In a move that may turn out to be of real importance to Barcelona's future, Jordi Majo announced on Wednesday that he had secured a deal to sign Kezman from PSV Eindhoven.
Kezman scored 35 goals last season, making him the highest scorer in a major European league and the Serbia & Montenegro forward would be a popular signing among Barcelona fans.
Majo is a back marker in the electoral race but his deal is not dependent on him becoming president. That means whoever wins Sunday's vote could bring to the club what they have been looking for all season -- a natural goalscorer with a bright future.
It won't be enough to settle the contest in Majo's favour but it could be a way of saving face for the winning candidate if the likes of Beckham, Koeman and Vieri choose not to come.
Bureau Report