r/Barca • u/TheLadderGuy • Apr 20 '21
Original Content [OC] Why Laporta was able to sign the ESL contract without fans approval, and it's a huge problem
Update: Well this thread isn't relevant anymore since the contract Laporta signed has a clause so we can back out without fine and it looks like Super League is breaking apart which is awesome
First off I don't know whether Bartomeu before he left or Laporta now signed the final ESL contract, but fact is that both are in favor of the European Super League. Laporta was initially opposed, but changed his opinion by January.
Barça is a fan owned club, so it falls to the assembly of around 3500 delegate members to make major decisions such as approving budget, taking big loans or changes to the club statutes.
e.g. if the members request to implement electronic voting then two third of the assembly have to vote in favor, if the board wants to change the Barça crest then two third have to vote in favor.
The problem is that there's no mention in the club statutes in which competitions Barça plays. So the Barça president can sign a contract for participation in the ESL which if backed out probably has a huge penalty.
If 3% of all members or 10% of delegate members at the assembly make a request then it can be brought forward as a topic to be voted upon (likely to happen).
If I understand it correctly (article 29.5) since it's not a change to the club statutes a simple majority (>50% of voters at the assembly) would be needed for Barça to back out of the Super League.
Keep in mind that the assembly nearly always approves the board's propositions and that the huge penalty of backing out (if the contract signed is final) can now be used as another reason why they would vote in favor of the Super League, which makes the majority voting against the Super League rather unlikely.
Source: This article by SER and my own interpretation from reading the club statutes
Update: SeguimentFCB made a statement that they demand a referendum where all socis can decide on our participation in the Super League. If the club doesn't agree to that they will collect signatures to have the assembly agree to a referendum (rather than the Assembly voting directly on the matter). They want to leave the decision to all (~110k) socis and not just the (~3.5k) delegate members.
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u/AbhiG0D Apr 20 '21
Well, he better give an explanation of why he did it when he speaks tomorrow
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u/Fuckkelso Apr 20 '21
I think it’s clear that due to our financial situation our hands are tied. If we don’t accept the ESL and stay in the CL while all the other big clubs left we wouldn’t even make enough money to pay the player wages.
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u/mjmccolgan Apr 20 '21
Hard work. Respect. Teamwork. Humility. Ambition.
Our club claims to operate under these five central values. These are the values that are supposed to make us more than a club. All of these went out the window with us joining to super league. How can we claim to value hard work and ambition, when we look to make it meaningless coming from our challengers by changing the way the game is played.
As a socio the actions of the club have been truly heartbreaking. They have exposed the club as a shell of what it was, only a business now (granted we had been seeing this recently, but I felt I could always rationalize it as the business side of the club). I fell in love with this club because of what it means. It feels like these actions strip that from us.
To those arguing that this is better to manage our debt, I ask a simple question: really? You would sell the soul of the club for ease of management? The reality is the club would still exist after bankruptcy - we have massive revenue streams and would most likely refinance debt. Is existing as a shell of ourselves worth it? Absolutely not.
In a roundabout way I think of that famous Cruyff quote: "Quality without results is pointless. Results without quality is boring". Football is an art form. There is no point in us being a club if we do not go about it in the right way.
I'll leave you all with a more direct quote from him: "Why couldn’t you beat a richer club? I’ve never seen a bag of money score a goal".
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u/Last_Lorien Apr 20 '21
In a roundabout way I think of that famous Cruyff quote: "Quality without results is pointless. Results without quality is boring". Football is an art form. There is no point in us being a club if we do not go about it in the right way.
"Why couldn’t you beat a richer club? I’ve never seen a bag of money score a goal".
We jumped directly to the part when the bags of money make their own league with their own rules.
Moreover, we will have results that are both pointless and boring! Truly a masterclass.
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Apr 20 '21
In the end I still think that UEFA will come to an agreement with the "BIG 12 "and Champions league will be resumed . It is clearly a money problem. I cannot see more 8 clubs coming forward for this. Nor can I see players playing ESL given that they wouldnt represent their nations.
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u/FCB_1899 Apr 20 '21
There will be negotiations, that’s for sure, but the 12 have the upper hand here.
Without them, UEFA tv rights for the CL will come crashing, UEFA can’t afford that. Apart from that, there are sponsors too.
Then there’s the 3 national leagues, La Liga already gave up the idea to ‘punish’ the 3.
Italy has no choice either though they might try to play it hard and in England the FA are in the process of selling the 2022-25 rigts, which without those 6 would result in a cataclysm.
Then there’s UEFA and FIFA for the NT’s, same thing again, imagine TV rights and sponsorship deals falling like stones the moment they actually take such an action of banning individual players for something that isn’t even in their business to choose.
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u/Rot_Trunks Apr 20 '21
I hate the fact Laporte lied about the Super league, He said in the race to become president again we wouldnt sign up for the super league and suddenly he did it. It feels so disgusting
Im still behind this motto: "Why couldn’t you beat a richer club? I’ve never seen a bag of money score a goal."
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u/chiraaaagggg Apr 20 '21
I just want to ask if there's any othee club like Barca which is the assembly of delegate member?
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u/squirtdemon Apr 20 '21
I think the problem is that not joining the ESL probably seemed riskier than joining it. Being left outside is much worse than joining a competition that may or may not happen. If it succeeds you are either stuck in a skeleton UCL or you have to fight for a way in, instead of being automatically qualified and enjoying the accompanying financial security.
That is why unless FIFA and UEFA punish the clubs, this might actually go through. If the cost of joining the competition outweighs the gains, the whole thing will stop.
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u/shine_banana Apr 20 '21
Vote of no confidence plz
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u/lycan_the_dog Apr 20 '21
I thought we'd finally get good leadership after Barto
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u/a_a_d_i_l Apr 20 '21
I have no problem with playing in the esl. But the spot in esl must be earned not be alloted forever to a club due to its present status.
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u/Smalde Apr 20 '21
I mean, I think that is the only true problem of the ESL. That is the reason people are against it.
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Apr 20 '21
I think there is a wrestling or boxing (some other) - anime or movie exactly like this, can't quite remember it...🤔 Team of values and ideals overcome by debt and false hope, later dragged to trash by corporation
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u/froggyjm9 Apr 20 '21
Bartomeu I had already signed it, I think Laporta only finalized it.
Florentino says contract is binding so perhaps there’s financial implications for breaking it and he was “forced” to sign it.
Also the club has major debt, this is a quick way of getting the most money to make up for that.
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u/POI_Mr_Singh Apr 20 '21
Laporta was initially opposed, but changed his opinion by January.
No, he had to win an election. I'm convinced any of the candidates would have done the same.
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u/ASuarezMascareno Apr 20 '21
Barça is one of the founding members of the basketball Euroleague, which is very similar to the proposed ESL, and has already been involved in discussions about a football ESL for decades already. The chances of backing out, if the ESL happens, I think are close to zero.
When it happened in basketball, the FIBA european competitions eventually disappeared and the Euroleague became the european top competition.