Following Josep Maria Bartomeu's victory in the Barcelona presidential election, it will be announced over the next few days "who is going to be doing what in each specific area of the club," according to Xavi Hernández of MARCA. Gerard López "is to be promoted to take charge of Barcelona B." Pep Segura will be the sporting director for the B team and youth squads. Ariedo Braida and Carlos Rexach will "continue to be part of the sporting structure of the club," though not as members of the "Comisión Técnica," a body set up by Bartomeu after Andoni Zubizarreta left. In fact this body "will be abolished once Robert Fernández and Pep Segura take up their directorial positions." Jordi Mestre and Javier Bordas will be the two board members "specifically responsible" for football decisions affecting the first team. Albert Soler will "continue at the head of Institutional Relations" and Ignacio Mestre will remain the club's GM, a post he took over in June '14. Susana Monje will be the club's first female VP (MARCA, 7/20). In Madrid, Rojo & Hernández reported one of the "recurring debates throughout the presidential campaign" was Qatar's sponsorship of Barcelona. In '10, former President Sandro Rosell "just managed to get enough votes to push through a six-year deal with the Gulf state," which means that Bartomeu will now have to "review the agreement with the current owners of that privileged advertising space on the front of the first-team's shirts (and the front of the Camp Nou)" or agree to a deal with another company. Before resigning and calling for elections, the newly-elected president agreed to a new four-year deal -- worth €60M ($65M) per season -- with Qatar Airways. The club's assembly "will have the final word." The board witnessed the "recent wave of criticism" from other presidential candidates toward the emirate's sponsorship. Bartomeu offered up Japanese technology firm Rakuten as an alternative. However, that appears to have "had more to do with electoral tactics than a realistic option capable of bringing in the kind of money" that Barça wants from it main sponsor. In fact, Rakuten is "shaping up as more of a sponsor for the club's training shirts, which would clear the way for a deal with Qatar" (MARCA, 7/20).
BURNING ISSUE: REUTERS' Tim Hanlon reported Barcelona's sponsorship deal with Qatar is "one of the burning issues" Bartomeu must tackle following his re-election on Saturday. Bartomeu denied claims that he was "influenced by business interests in Qatar." He said, "Barça has its values and Qatar Airways are an airline. They offered us the best contract available in terms of sponsorship" (REUTERS, 7/20).
