Is Bartomeu good for Barça?

Is Bartomeu good for Barça?

Joan Vehils

Director de Sport

Bartomeu se reunió con Neymar y el padre del futbolista
Bartomeu se reunió con Neymar y el padre del futbolista | sport

Josep Maria Bartomeu ran for the presidency of FC Barcelona three years ago with the slogan "Bo pel Barça" (Good for Barça). Bartomeu argued that under his presidency Barça had won the triple and, thanks to the signing of Suárez, also had the best front three in the world. In other words, Bartomeu was good for Barça.

But following this line of reasoning, three years later we have to ask whether Bartomeu is still good for Barça. Put simply, Barça no longer have a triple or the trident. However, they do have something they've never had before, €222 in cash. Now the debate is how to spend it. Should it all be spent on new signings like Cruyff suggested in his day? Should the club's debt be reduced? Should it be invested in the new Camp Nou? Whether you like it or not, the final decision will be taken by Bartomeu and it will be a decision that will affect Barça's direction over the next few years. Not even the success of Benedito's no confidence motion will stop Bartomeu spending this €222 million today, tomorrow or yesterday. In other words, as Evarist Murtra said last week, it would be helpful if, leaving aside the criticisms of the president, the club and its supporters had a long think and in-depth debate about the direction the club should take.

It's true that there are certain taboo subjects, like discussing the possibility of becoming a PLC or the performance of the sporting divisions, but it would be useful for a group of experts to openly analyse the club's future. Barça can only compete with clubs with Russian and Middle Eastern money if the financial side is managed well and La Masia continues producing good players. The time has now come for the directors to make decisions. Everything depends on them. If they get it right, they can continue to argue that Bartomeu is good for Barça. If not, difficult times lie ahead.