Josep Maria Bartomeu's plan for FC Barcelona

Josep Maria Bartomeu's plan for FC Barcelona

Forty days after winning the election to be FC Barcelona president, Josep Maria Bartomeu is intensifying his work to make real the project presented during the campaign.

The post-election days have served to solve pressing issues as time pressed the final shape of the squad and the appointment of those responsible for the technical structure, to meet with the mayor Ada Colau to advance the Espai Barça project, and to speak privately with Michel Platini.

Bartomeu, who disappeared from his company during the campaign, has returned because he, unlike Sandro Rosell, has not given up his job to lead Barcelona. He has not taken holiday this year. Nor will he. He planned to leave with his family for a few days but ultimately he can not, because the of the demanding nature of his work with the club. And today, the end of August, the moment of truth starts for Bartomeu.

It's time to take an avalanche of decisions at a club that now, yes, feels more like itself. Its board is trusted. Bartomeu is forecast to be the last president-entrepreneur because Barca seem set to function similarly to Bayern, with many former players in charge of the club.

Meanwhile, Bartomeu await six years "in which the club must undergo a great transformation," according to his closest collaborators.

Without wanting to do too much in a short time, the president has designed a plan that will begin in a board meeting held today.

In it, the second since taking office, he set the standards to the directors, saying he wants less media attention for negatives and more focus more on aspects of representation, social work and the foundation. 

Bartomeu has confidence in Nacho Mestre, director general. He values the ease with which he took the transition, and thinks his work in the electoral process was exemplary. Now, he wants the other executives to act like Mestre.

To do this, it will take some changes in marketing, protocol (Gerard Guiu will be responsible for institutional relations in New York) and in another communication and the legal department. The presence of Laurent Collette, current commercial director, will make a strong comeback in this new project after having less presence in recent months.

Another project that starts today is a strategy to bring the socios away. It was an important campaign issue and now it's time to take action.

Bartomeu wants fans to travel cheaper, more comfortably, to make it more affordable, to convert Barcelona into a club that is always accompanied by their own fans, something that does not happen now. In the campaign he promised not their own travel agency - because he considers it unfeasible - but to take measures to help the fans accompany the team in bulk.

Sponsorships

At the same time, it is time to start talking with companies that want to sponsor the club. During campaign, QSI submitted a bid to renew its current sponsorship but Bartomeu said he would leave the decision to the elected president.

Now, he is not willing to give up the 60 million pledged by Qatar but wants more because it believes that the club should be the best paid in the world. Manel Arroyo's successor, Javier Faus, is in charge of this area, and plans to travel to Doha in the near future to sit with Hassan Al Tawadi, Barça's partner in Qatar.

At the same time, the club has an offer on the table from an Asian company announced by Bartomeu in the campaign and in recent weeks a third offer has come that excites the board.

The president does not want to have to decide on specifics but his aim is to seek a place in the club for them all. And to collect all the money. It is an aspect that must be addressed to achieve revenue rises.

Another hot topic that Barcelona before it is defending their interests internationally, with UEFA and the ECA as battle horses. On the 7, 8 and 9 September a conference will be in Geneva and Nyon in which Bartomeu will participate in, to show support for Platini. "Michel, we are with you," said Bartomeu of the current UEFA president when he thought of fighting to replace Sepp Blatter as head of FIFA.

Acquiring greater visibility and power to influence the federative bodies is another purpose that Bartomeu wants to achieve. His first success was the draw for the Champions League that ended up being a televised infomercial about Barcelona.