They have returned. They too…, by Xavier Bosch

They are finally back. After two years. Avalanche of tourists in the Camp Nou to watch the Barça-Seville. Of the 76,112 fans who went to the stadium, a large percentage were foreigners. Since March 7, 2020, before the Real society, not so much foreign presence was noticeable. In recent days, walking along the Rambla or Paseo de Gracia, one realized that tourists have returned to the city. And by Holy Weekand with the lowest rate of coronavirus transmission since the start of the pandemic, the situation of Barcelona It will be very close to normal. It was missing, yes, that the tourists wanted to go back to see good football, in the Camp Nou. And they didn’t miss the opportunity.

In Tribuna, it was difficult to find a lifelong subscriber with whom to greet each other. There were many Asians, many families with children, couples in love, and business people waiting for the meeting room. Food which started the next morning. People who were disoriented looking for their seat, almost all of them with the scarf bought in the store of the Barça because they did not expect that, on April 3, that cold would break in southern Europe. Fans who filmed everything with their cell phones and who took a half-hour break because of the long queues for a stinky frankfurter and a soft drink at the price of Moët & Chandon. The Barçafor income to exceed expenses, you need endorsement deals, make out with CVCyield 49% of Barca Studios for 5 years, but also that tourists return en masse to its facilities.

At last Sunday’s assembly, the Economic Commission He said, in his report, that the club’s economic crisis was “caused by the pandemic of Covid”. In the 2019-20 season, the fact that the public could no longer return to the stadium (neither to the store nor to the Museum), caused losses of 97 million euros. The 20-21 season was budgeted thinking of a negative scenario where it was expected that 25% of the capacity would recover in February and up to 50% in May. But the pandemic dragged on, worsened and no one entered the entire season. All games behind closed doors. Many hotels, shops and restaurants closed and went to waste. In El Prat hardly any planes arrived and, to give just one example, the Museum the Barça which enters about 50 million annual turnover, did not reach 500,000 euros. Fortunately, this is history.

The engine roars again. The 26,238 subscribers who requested leave for the current season allow the club to put on sale some 35,000 tickets per game. The collections begin to be what they were. Finally. There is no evil that lest a hundred years. First, more than a year ago, he returned Laporta. Then, in September, viewers returned to the Camp Nou -few and subscribers. Then he returned to soccer, hand in hand with Xaviof the 4 winter signings and of those recovered Pedri and Dembele. Now the tourists have returned, a fundamental piece for the club’s economic gear to work. Tickets, t-shirts, sandwiches… Barça It was the first sports club in the world to reach a turnover of 1,000 million thanks, also, to the fundamental contribution of tourists. They have returned. They are still fascinated by Barça… And, thus, the doubt is cleared. Without Messithe Barça keep being him Barça.

I LIKED IT

Ronald Araujo, close to closing the renovation

In another negotiation broadcast almost live, the parties report that the agreement to close the negotiation between the Barça and Ronald Araujo is near. The Uruguayan is so culé that, in the mixed zone after the Barça-Seville, was the first to admit that his dream is to stay here. Another more veteran, in his place, would have spoken tactically to be lazy and get more dough. He, for much less than what they offer him in the Premier, will stay here. And it is a great luck because, beyond his well-known qualities (speed, claw, aerial game, humility) he leaves the house and reminds us that we do not have to look outside what we have at home. There are little-known gestures that mark the mood of people. When together with two companions of the Barça B He had already played minutes with the first team, he offered to go to play the promotion promotion with the subsidiary. The club wanted all three to go, but one was lazy and the other hid behind some pain in his leg. AraujoInstead, he volunteered. And he played and fought in the final against the Sabadell as if from the world final with Uruguay it was treated It could not be. She was out of luck. The Barça B of García Pimienta was one goal away from the Second divisionbut Araujo it gave a proof of commitment that, now, at the time of renewal, cannot go unnoticed.

I DID NOT LIKE IT

Much to improve in the telematic Assembly

The first Assembly telematics was, judging by the level of satisfaction of the Board, a success. They talk about comfort for members but it is basically comfort for power that does not have partners out there who can revolutionize the stalls, or journalists who are always uncomfortable. In front of him, very few senators and the claca of executives. Perfect. The thing worked reasonably well, but with many connection problems in the early hours and the members who called the OAB found the service saturated. The elusive did not speak Trustee of the Partner, and the president of the Economic Commission was not there. The way of grouping the answers to the 34 questions that the partners had had to send in previous days was unclear. Of the 49 questions that the partners sent in writing during the session, only 5 were answered. And, of course, each one in his house had no right to kick. With Assembly face-to-face all would have been answered. Even worse. In a subject as sensitive as the sale of the name of the stadium for the first time in history, only 3 partners intervened to ask for a video conference. They say that 902 connected, 701 voted and only 3 asked, showing their faces. Many things must be improved and, whenever possible, and if the pandemic does not prevent it, face-to-face assemblies. If not, it gives the feeling that we return to “everything for the partner but without the partner”.

BAD MILK

1. Does it start to be uncomfortable for Laporta what Gaspart go to all the Assemblies to request a favorable vote for each proposal of the current board? Hadn’t the Hotel Arenas agreement already expired?

2. For two large global corporations like Barça and Spotify talk, call each other and negotiate, do you need a commission broker? Can’t they do it directly?

3. Because when Pique put in contact Rakuten with the Barça for the sponsorship of the shirt, the player did not charge a single euro commission and now he does darren yours?

4. Isn’t it absurd to ask the compromising partners to applaud the commission agent, in the middle of the Assembly? Or is it the demonstration that they go so far that we already marked as rabona and blindfolded?