Filed under: Spanish League
Catalan Television station TV3 has reported that FC Barcelona has agreed to wear the UNICEF logo on their famous Barca shirts next season.
Barcelona have never had a shirt sponsor in their over 100 years history, but have agreed to break with the tradition to support the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). A presentation will be made at the United Nations Headquarters in New York when the official contract will be signed.
Barca had several record-breaking sponsorship deals before, but Barcelona president Joan Laporta has always remained sensitive about a commercial sponsorship with a company’s name on the jersey because it could have caused opposition among the club’s faithful supporters.
Barca, the biggest football club in the world, are “more than a club” and are happy to be seen as a humanitarian club that wants to give his share to fight racism and poverty around the world. Barca already agreed a charity deal with UNICEF last month. The agreement between UNICEF and FC Barcelona will see Barca donate 0.7 % of their annual income (estimated to be over € 2 mill. next year) to the UN-Charity fund from the start of the 2006-07 season. FC Barcelona became the first football club ever to formally support the UN Millennium Development Goals campaign and hopes that other rich football Clubs will follow. The UN Millennium Development Goals campaign aims to halving extreme poverty, limiting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education by 2015 anog other targets.
Filed under: Spanish League
The candidates
ARTURO BALDASANO
Aged 60, lawyer and economist. Slogan: ‘Bring back the excitement’
Background: Has cast himself as an independent candidate because he is the only one never to have been on the Real board. Only gained 1.7 percent of the vote when he stood against Perez in 2004.
Plans: Has said he has an agreement with England’s Sven-Goran Eriksson to take charge as coach and that he will appoint Vicente Del Bosque as sports director supported by former Germany international and Real player Uli Stielike.
Wants to bring more Spanish players into the side.
Possible signings: Joaquin (Real Betis), Jose Antonio Reyes, Cesc Fabregas (both Arsenal), Mahamadou Diarra (Olympique Lyon).
RAMON CALDERON
Aged 55, lawyer. Slogan: ‘Follow your instincts’
Background: Board member under Perez and Fernando Martin.
Plans: On the board the last four years, he says he has inside knowledge as to where things went wrong, and therefore what to put right. Has promised not to interfere in the signing of players.
Will appoint former player Predrag Mijatovic, who scored the winner for Real in the 1998 European Cup final, as sporting director and has spoken of bringing Fabio Capello back as coach.
Possible signings: Kaka (AC Milan) Unlikely as he signed a new deal with Milan recently , Arjen Robben (Chelsea).
JUAN PALACIOS
Aged 58, president of multi-national watch and jewellery business. Slogan: ‘What would you like to win?’
Background: A board member under former president Mendoza and vice-president under Lorenzo Sanz.
Plans: Looking to Real Madrid old boys to turn things round. Will appoint former Spain and Real boss Jose Antonio Camacho as sports director and Del Bosque as coach.
Has announced a deal to sponsor Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso.
Possible signings: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gianluca Zambrotta (both Juventus), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona).
LORENZO SANZ
Aged 63, property speculator. Slogan: ‘And now let’s talk about football’
Background: Club president between 1995 and 2000 when Real won a league title and two European Cups.
Was accused of leading the club to the brink of financial ruin and was ousted by Florentino Perez in the 2000 election. Failed in his bid to regain control of the club when he was heavily defeated by Perez in 2004.
Plans: Highly critical of the Perez era and the David Beckham signing and claims the club’s finances are in disarray. Promises to make sporting success the club’s main objective and to balance the books.
Has an agreement with Vicente del Bosque to return as coach.
Possible signings: Michael Carrick (Tottenham Hotspur), Fernando Gago (Boca Juniors), Zambrotta, Emerson (both Juventus), Khalid Boulahrouz (Hamburg SV), Franck Ribery (Marseille)
JUAN MIGUEL VILLAR MIR
Aged 74, construction magnate. Slogan: ‘Fighting spirit and hunger for victory.’
Background: A trained engineer and politician. A vice-president under the late president Ramon Mendoza. Seen by many as the continuity candidate with links to Perez.
Plans: Will have former world rally champion Carlos Sainz as his vice-president. Wants to appoint Arsene Wenger as a general manager/coach with the power to sign players.
Possible signings: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Fabregas, Reyes.
Tottenham have completed the signing of Ivory Coast midfielder Didier Zokora. The 25-year-old, who looked impressive for his country in their debut World Cup appearance, joins from French club St Etienne.
Zokora is regarded as one of the best holding midfielders in the world, and his arrival could raise question marks about Michael Carrick’s future at White Hart Lane, with Tottenham having turned down a bid from Manchester United for the England midfielder, and Arsenal also said to be trying to buy the player.
Zokora was wanted by Manchester and Arsenal as well, and a number of other top European clubs.
Spurs later revealed Zokora had signed a five-year contract.
Footy In A Week 