Sí al futur statement

In an interview published today in La Vanguardia, FC Barcelona Vice President Jordi Cardoner was asked about the possibility of holding a referendum to approve the new funding for Espai Barça. He said: ¨We have many points in common with Mr Font, but one thing needs to be clarified. A referendum can only be summoned through the assembly of partners [socis], which is sovereign in such cases¨.

Faced with this statement, Sí al futur states:

1 - It is not true that a referendum can only be organized by the Members' Assembly [Assemblea de Socis]. The Club's Board of Directors also has this power.

Specifically, section B of Article 13 of the FC Barcelona Statutes states: ¨with the aim of promoting transparency and participation, increasing democratic quality and improving relations between members and government bodies of the Club, the following direct participation mechanisms are established (...) b) with regard to matters of special importance, the consultation procedure for members can be regulated and their result has binding effects. The initiative for this procedure is the responsibility of the Board of Directors or the General Assembly, depending on their respective competencies”.

2 - On the occasion of a referendum convened in April 2014, FC Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu said literally: "this is an strategic decision that affects the future of Barça for the next 50 years. It must be a decision that the maximum number of people makes it possible. The referendum is a commitment of the Board of Directors The statutory reform created the referendum tool, which must be a valid and forceful social expression that is consistent with the democratic essence of our Club. The co-ownership that we share with all Barça members is part of our identity and something that we need to strengthen".

3 – As a matter of fact for the same argument that the current Board of Directors of FC Barcelona validated in 2014 and because of the agreements that the members approved at that time had been substantially changed, Sí al futur claims for a new referendum:

• The project, which had to cost 600 million, had to be paid with 200 million from the generation of equity, plus 200 from credit and 200 from the company that gave the new name to the new Camp Nou. At this moment, the project has already cost more than 685 million, and according to various reports, it is expected to be financed with 700 million from Goldman Sachs with a 25-year profit-sharing contract.

4 - Before voting for the Espai Barça financing, Sí al futur also calls for an exercise in absolute transparency on the debt and the economic situation of the Club. Sí al futur believes that the board should clarify the information that indicates that Barça has 1.000 million in financial debt, with a 53% increase in financial liabilities in the last year. Sí al futur recalls that the Board of Directors, chaired by Josep Maria Bartomeu, publicly pledged, on more than one occasion, not to begin the work of Espai Barça if the Club's debt was not less than €220 million.

5 - Therefore, Sí al futur, which defends returning the effective exercise of the Club's co-ownership to members, demands from the FC Barcelona Board of Directors that the modification of the funding for Espai Barça go through a referendum on accounts to be limited to an Extraordinary Plenipotentiary Assembly, announced earlier this year.

Here you can re-read the interview of La Vanguardia to Jordi Cardoner.