BARCELONA, 19 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The partners of FC Barcelona approved this Sunday with 87.8 percent positive votes, out of a total of 48,623 participants, the referendum for the financing of the ‘Espai Barça’, which enables the Board of Directors of Joan Laporta to seek a loan of up to 1,500 million euros to start the remodeled project with respect to the one initially voted in 2014.
In total, there were 42,693 votes in favor – 87.8 percent of the participation – which gave the green light to launch the ‘Espai Barça’, with only 5,055 votes against –10.4 percent- – and 875 abstentions –1.8 percent–.
With this result, the referendum is approved and gives permission and green light to a financing operation of up to a maximum of 1,500 million euros, with which the works of the ‘Espai Barça’ can be carried out, with the anticipation of having the new Camp Nou at the end of 2025 (starting the works in 2022), the new Palau Blaugrana in 2026 and the ‘Campus Barça’ – offices and hotel – by 2027.
How will this ‘Espai Barça’ be financed? A loan will be requested from Goldman Sachs of a maximum of 1,500 million euros, to finance a project broken down as follows: future Camp Nou (900 million), new Palau Blaugrana (420 million – includes Petit Palau, ice rink and bus parking–), Estadi Johan Cruyff (20 million), urban investments (60 million) and Campus (100 million).
In the first telematic voting in the history of the Blaugrana club, with members being able to vote from their homes or anywhere through a phone, tablet or computer, a large turnout was expected and finally it touched half of the electoral roll.
At 8:00 p.m., in the absence of one hour of voting – the hours were from 9 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. – a total of 45,987 male and female members had voted, representing 41.74 percent of the electoral roll. And the will of the Board, at that time, was to be able to reach 50,000 members and approach the middle of the census (44.13 percent of it voted).
With a total of 110,159 members called to vote – they had to be of legal age and with a minimum of one year of seniority – finally those 48,623 did vote, some even went to the Auditori 1899 to, with the help of employees of the club, to be able to exercise their right to vote.
With this majority ‘Yes’, the mandate issued by the last Assembly of Compromise Partners of October 23 is fulfilled, which approved by a majority –405 votes in favor, 21 against and 6 blank – the proposal of the Board of Directors regarding the ‘Espai Barça’, ratified this Sunday in a referendum.