“Barcelona Football Club can play wherever it wants to”

Interview with Jordi González, member of “Barcelonistes per la Independència” and member of Barcelona Football Club. He was the speaker of the conference “El Barça a la Catalunya Independent” (Barcelona Football Club in an Independent Catalonia).

Help Catalonia: Where would Barcelona football club play if Catalonia became an independent State? 

Jordi Gonzàlez: I think wherever it wished. Obviously, Catalonia would need to have its own League as federations make it compulsory, so a state structure for sports would have to be created. However, Barcelona Football Club, as a private club can theoretically play wherever it wants to.

For example...

For example, Barcelona Football Club may ask the English Premier to play there. Then we’d have to see what the English League thought of that, but as a club we can certainly do it. In fact, we could do this today. The important thing is that we, the members, have it clear in our minds what we actually want; it’s up to us to decide where we would like to play. The ultimate objective is to be able to decide and I’m convinced that we will decide. 

It could be less interesting for football fans if Barcelona Football Club stopped playing in the Spanish League... 

I suppose the Catalan League would end up evening out, but the Scottish League is a matter of a single team, Glasgow Celtic. 

But this could affect the income of the club... 

Obviously, we could not keep the players with only the Catalan League, not even the stadium. But, already today, what brings in the money is the European Cup, and we expect that Barcelona will play in the competition. Cause-effect scenarios will take place, but they will quickly be readdressed. At the moment, we must understand sport as a matter of state; therefore, it will be solved as a matter of state. 

And how could Barcelona Football Club take part in the European Cup, once Catalonia is independent? 

To be able to take part in the European Cup, a Federation or to belong to a Federation is required, as in the case of Monaco. In Monaco there is no Federation, but as the team plays in the French League, if Monaco wins the League it is their representative in the European Cup, as it has happened before on several occasions. Besides, Monaco is an independent country at all levels! Therefore, we have already an example. Another option would be to have our own federation, as is the case of Andorra, which has the Football Federation of Andorra. Therefore, Andorra has a football League and the team that wins it can represent the country at the European Cup. But it has a club called “Futbol Club Andorra” which plays in the Catalan League despite being a national team. If it were better it could even play in the “Copa del Rey”... Finally, there is a team in Val d'Aran which plays in the French regional league instead of playing in the Catalan or the Spanish ones, because in the past, during the winter it was much easier to go to France to play. There are many solutions to this dilemma; and we could find more if we were a country with full rights.

Do you believe that the Spanish Federation would allow Barcelona Football Club leave the League? 

I don’t know. It all would depend on whether it would be in their interest. We are clear about it. Barcelona will not stop being the sporting club that it is. It will be the most representative club in the country and with the prospect that in a short-medium term the great European League is created, mirroring the American NBA or the National Hockey League, Barcelona Football Club will be in this League –and this means being in the elite. 

If they allowed Barcelona Football Club to leave, could there be a boycott by some Spanish sectors that would try to stop the team from playing in foreign Leagues? 

I think that the Spanish boycott would be a storm in a tea cup. Now the Federation of Gibraltar has been approved and Spain has said that it will never play against the selection of Gibraltar, but I suggest a hypothetical situation: the World Cup final ends up with Gibraltar and Spain. Would Spain not go to play the World Cup final? It is a hypothetical situation but now it could happen! On the other hand, Spain does not recognize Kosovo, but if it had to play against them, would they not go and would they not play? It is a matter of State, a matter of country, a matter of money and a matter of supporters. 

Interview by Txell Parera