With the resignation of former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, the campaign began for a new man to oversee the club.
Vilajoana will keep Ronald Koeman as a manager
Barcelona presidential candidate Xavier Vilajoana said that if he wins the upcoming elections to the club, he will keep Ronald Koeman as a coach. With the resignation of former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, the campaign began for a new man to oversee the club. And that decision around the boss is just one of the things Vilajoana will do if he emerges victorious, with a discussion with Lionel Messi not far behind. “If I become president, Koeman will be the coach because he is already there,” Vilajoana said. “The coaches and players will become my coaches and my players. Messi is and will be the best player in football. First, I will sit down with him and listen to him, and then, depending on what he says, make him a proposal. It is important to get to know him before saying what I will do.”
Xavier always puts himself at the service of Barcelona
“I will always tell everyone the truth. But discussing what will happen before we even meet with the other side is wrong.” The 47-year-old spoke about the challenges he expects to face while watching the club still dealing with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. “I’ve always put myself at the service of this club,” Vilajoana explained. “We are in a challenging moment, and that goes for our country and the whole world. I want to work with the members. I’ve been on the board before, and that is one of the things worth its weight in gold when you have to do everything. The situation requires us to think again about certain things. From my point of view, we need the ‘Espai Barca’ stadium, suitable for the XXI century.”
“We need to evaluate what the best solution is, but the last word will come from the members”. Vilajoana also expressed his opinion on what the legacy of the outgoing reign would be like. “I understand very clearly that I would have acted differently,” he said. “I have always been honest in my feelings. Sometimes I agree, and sometimes I don’t. In life, you learn all the time.” Perhaps most of all about the old regime, Vilajoana said that he would do first of all. “The first thing I will do is open the windows,” he said. “We need some fresh air. After that, I will go to work.”