Former
Barcelona President Joan Laporta said that he will "do his best to put the
name of UNICEF or another humanitarian cause back in a prominent
position on the team shirt" if he returns to the helm in next month's
elections, according to Tim Hanlon REUTERS. Laporta
negotiated the initial deal with UNICEF almost 10 years ago during his
previous spell as president from '03-10, which saw a logo put on the
shirt "for the first time in the club's history." Under
the last board, led by Sandro Rosell and then Josep Maria Bartomeu, "deals were struck to have first the Qatar Foundation and then Qatar
Airways on the front of the shirt and it saw the UNICEF name relegated
to the back." Laporta: "I
will do my best. I will do my best to get a sponsor that makes it
possible so that we have UNICEF again on our shirt or another motif that
carries a similar meaning to UNICEF." Laporta has doubts that the contract with Qatar that runs until next year "is the best option for the club." He felt Barça was "respected around the world" not just for its football
but for its "work with UNICEF when he was president" (REUTERS, 6/30). In Barcelona, Toni Frieros wrote Bartomeu on Tuesday laid out his electoral program. He said that his proposal to Barcelona members is based on a "program of projects, a management model to reinforce our leadership in the world, so that in 2021 we will continue leading it and remain a unique brand in the world. We want to be recognized like Apple, NASA or Facebook." He emphasized that "the Barça of the 21st century is based on a social, athletic and management model and the Espai Barça." Bartomeu: "We will strengthen the development of women's sport, we want it to be a leader also" (SPORT, 6/30).
