Former Barcelona president Xavier Vilajoana joins Football España to discuss his plans for the club, and what he believes is going wrong at the moment. On the day of launching his campaign, Vilajoana made it clear that the new president will not have the 100 days of grace that we give to political authority, and that gives him a clear advantage over other challengers.
Vilajoana is running under the slogan ‘Ready to bring back our Barcelona’, and you can find out more about his campaign here. Vilajoana spent time at the club as a player, before taking charge of the Football Sala department on two occasions. Between 2015 and 2020, Vilajoana was a director in Barcelona,
First and foremost, why did you decide to get involved? What made you think, why don’t you do it for me?
Well, first of all, it’s an internal motivation, I’ve lived in Barcelona all my life. My father was a member of the board under President Josep Lluis Nunez for 18 years, I was a player, first in football, then I followed the football sala. I worked with the last two presidents, [Josep Maria] Bartomeu and Joan Laporta. So it’s a bit of a quest to complete the journey.
And also because I’ve been listening to the members a lot, and they feel like they’re being ignored, they want to change things. They are treated as clients, not as members or owners. And they are sad about that, we are losing the purpose of the group, which is our members, and our history.
The great history of the club is because of them, and they pushed me to do it. They told me we love you, you listen to us, and we think you’ll be fine. So it’s partly intrinsic motivation, partly extrinsic.
Catalan identity has been a topic that has risen and fallen with different presidents of Barcelona. How important is it to you and your vision for the team?
A historical question. Catalanism, the history of Catalonia and the party, I think we have to grow from the inside to the world, without forgetting where we come from. This is important, and the two things complement each other.
We are a global club, we are a very culturally integrated club, and we cannot change our history, our roots. It is important to know about it.
A major topic that cannot be avoided is finance. For non-accountants, what are the main elements of your plan to bring Barcelona back to financial health?
We have to think about innovation, in terms of revenue growth, of course, but we have to do that outside of traditional routes as well. We have to grow alongside the important products, but we also have to look at the US market. Also, for example making money through digital followers, through our school products. Players who don’t make it to the first team, we use those resources.
Equally, we can export our methods and knowledge to the rest of the world, and make money that way. Along with that, we need strict control over our costs, and commissions. We pay more commissions, because we don’t have real experts in each club area.
I assume you are referring to the 50 million euro commission paid to Darren Dein after the Nike sponsorship deal was signed?
Currently, we need consultants to make deals with our partners, not the players’ agents, but for example with Nike. If I want to make a commercial deal, I will do so with professionals by my side. If I want to sign a player, I will do so with a paid agent.
And it seems like a good idea, but for some reason, there are no experts in the club, hired by the team to do so. It’s very dangerous that we don’t have professionals leading the club, and it’s not just Darren Dein’s Nike commission, this is happening in many different areas.
Victor Font announced that under him, Deco will not continue as Sports Director, while Marc Ciria said he will discuss it. What is your plan for the football team, can you keep Deco?
I’m tired of people being associated with the president. No, the people who work in the club, they work for the team. They must work for the club at the same time as the president. I don’t understand the idea that you walk into a club on the first day and say, this person yes, this person no, without talking to people. When I come in, I will talk to everyone first, I will listen to everyone first.
My vision for the club in a sporting sense is to put La Masia first, to ensure that it is coordinated. My goal would be 70% of the players produced at La Masia. I want there to be a general political strategy when it comes to the sports side of it, trade and having a plan A, B and C. You have to talk to people and listen first, then make a decision.
Obviously, we’re talking about sports directors here, but first, we have to talk to people. And if these people say we’re here because of one president, it’s a problem. If they are here with one president, they don’t understand the club. What is Barcelona. Barcelona needs people who work at the club and spend their lives at the club, not just the president.
We have lived in Nunisme, Lapoortisme, where do you stand? I get the feeling you believe it’s all very close, very related to one person?
I have personally seen all the isms – Laportisme, Rosellisme, Bartomeuisme, I have been there in all of them. The whole thing has a lot to do with one person, the president has to manage the club for several years, five years, and if you do well, you can renew, if you want. If it’s average, or bad, the members will vote you out.
If you leave the group, it’s not a problem. I have left the club four times, as a footballer, a futsal player, as a board member twice, it doesn’t matter. Time in the team, time to serve the club.
For me, that’s easy to understand, but not so easy for others. It’s been like that all my life.
There are a number of candidates currently running. What makes you different from Victor Font, Marc Ciria and others?
I have a long career, I have a lot of experience, in the club, on the sports side, in other sports, but also in the world. I have education in these areas. We have many parts of the club that are very important in the future. And you have to understand the club to make decisions from day one.
A famous line says that in politics you get 100 days of grace, but the next president won’t have that. The next president will have to make decisions from day one. I think it is very important for the new president to have a lot of information, to make these decisions.
You mentioned Harry Kane (his camp contacts were confirmed by Vilajoana), so I have to ask. What do you think after that? Why him in particular?
Kane is one of the options (smiles). I put Harry Kane as an example, because his profile is not an easy thing to produce at La Masia. He is a top scorer, he has a lot of skill, he knows how to coordinate the game well, he is very good, and he is one of the players who can play in tight spaces. He has many skills that suit Barcelona’s style of play. He is an example, of a player who can fit.
And finally, he is a Barcelona fan, Do you have any memories that you hold dear?
I have two or three favorite memories. When I played with Real Madrid as a player, I remember fighting with the defenders, this game remains in my mind. A sad memory was the Champions League final against Steau Bucharest in Sevilla, which we lost. I think I started crying after a game when I was a kid. The third time will be 6-1 against PSG. This is the first time I’ve lost my mind during a game. I was a board member at the time, and I lost it completely. It is a very good memory for me.
