Governing Bodies
BEHOLD, THE PASSIONATE LETTER BARCA BOARD WROTE ASKING FOR REFERENDUM DELAY
The embattled president of FC Barcelona, Josep Maria Bartomeu has written a letter to Pere Aragones, the vice-president of Catalonia pleading for delay in holding a referendum that could spell doom for his board.
Although Bartomeu denied knowledge of the letter, it has however been leaked on the internet.
In it, the Barcelona president asked the official to delay the referendum because it puts at risk the health of the club members.
Sports Villages Square via Tribuna.com present the most important parts of the letter.
“Honourable sir,
“I see myself again in the obligation to address you, driven by the exceptional health situation in our country, and it has become clear that the pandemic is worsening as the Council of Ministers of the Government of Spain has declared the state of alarm in accordance with the provisions of the Royal Decree. Indeed, from the moment the No Confidence Voting Board notified our Board of Directors of the fulfilment of the requirements for holding the corresponding vote, our Club has wanted to comply with the statutory mandate of our proposed protocol to be able to carry the voting in a decentralized way with the maximum health guarantees for both our group of club members, as well as four our more than 300 workers who will have to carry the operation of the two days of voting through their presence.
“FC Barcelona has an electoral census made up of 110,000 members to whom our Board of Directors must guarantee without exception the full exercise of their right to vote regardless of their place of residence, and for this reason, it was proposed at first a voting protocol that forced us to carry out large planning with logistical and organizational complexity to design 21 polling stations.
“Despite the club’s effort in designing a decentralized voting process, the delay of one week of the visa of the said protocol and the aggravation of the situation forces us to redefine the plan and vote in a single venue, at our stadium, given the material impossibility of obtaining the necessary authorizations for the proposals which, with the latest measures adopted by the various administrations involved, is simply impossible.
“If to the insurmountable geographical difficulties, we add the particular configuration of our electorate, with an average age of 58, with more than 40,000 members who are over 60 years old or with some kind of functional diversity, making it difficult to exercise their right to vote autonomously and independently, the difficulties guaranteeing the right to vote for our entire census are endless, but nevertheless, for our Board of Directors, our main concern is to avoid any action that may put at risk these groups in the face of the infectious virus.
“In this new context, our responsibility and the gravity of the situation requires us to return to the Government, and in this case to its highest official, to consult you again, given the new legal framework established with the declaration of the state of alar, if to date the appropriate conditions are given and with sufficient regulatory and health security to convene and carry out the act of the vote of censure on November 2, and in this case, given the impossibility of decentralizing the voting in 21 venues, to carry it out in a sing venue at our stadium.
“I have convened a meeting of our Board of Directors tomorrow, extraordinary and urgent, and given the importance of your answer to the present, I am obliged to state that we will consider interrupting the calculation of the term that our statutes indicate for the convening and subsequent voting of the motion when a decision in this regard arrives from the government.
“At a time of great decisions and great responsibilities for all, because we risk the lives and well-being of many people, our Entity has always been by the side of the country’s institutions in a loyal and committed way, and we will continue to be so, protecting the public and adding twists and turns in this terrible fight against the pandemic.
“Waiting for the answer to our request, I remain at your disposal for what you deem opportune and offering you once again all our predisposition and collaboration.
“Josep Maria Bartomeu I Floreta“
FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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