Barcelona and Rakuten held an event in Japan on Thursday to celebrate the sponsorship agreement between the two entities. The event took place at the Rakuten Crimson House, the company's HQ in Tokyo, and featured a press conference during which the Barça players made their first official appearance with the new shirt bearing Rakuten’s logo. Lionel Messi, Neymar, Gerard Piqué, Arda Turan and VP of Marketing & Communications Manel Arroyo were all in attendance. Rakuten was represented by Founder & CEO Hiroshi Mikitani. The club's presence drew more than 260 credentialed journalists. Following the press conference, the players met with approximately 2,000 Rakuten employees. Around 8,000 other Rakuten employees joined the meet and greet via videoconference from the company's other offices located around Japan (Barcelona).
CLEAN BREAK
: The EFE reported Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu said that former President Sandro Rosell, who is "currently incarcerated on money laundering charges, has not interfered in the day-to-day of the club since he resigned" on January 23, 2014. Bartomeu: "I have said it many times and I repeat: since he left the club in January 2014, he has not made or participated in a single club decision." On the club's lack of signings so far this transfer period, Bartomeu said, "We are working calmly. Two or three players from other clubs will arrive, plus those from the youth teams. There is a lot of time until Aug. 31. Patience. We are not new. This is our seventh season and we know how this goes" (
EFE, 7/12).
