New shirt sponsor to be decided at an Extraordinary Assembly

The Board of Directors has expressed, in the name of the Club, its full support and affection for former player and manager Johan Cruyff, one of the greatest Barça icons of all time, and our shared hope that he will recover from the illness that he has been diagnosed with this week.

The Board was sitting at an extraordinary meeting held today in the Club offices, where it reached the following agreements:

1. To postpone the decision regarding a new main shirt sponsor, which was initially to be made at the General Assembly this Sunday 25 October.
2. To issue a new deadline in order to reach the best possible sponsorship agreement, given that this contract would not come into force until 2016/17. The Board’s intent has always been to present the members with an agreement that matches the high value of the assets that it offers.
3. To call an Extraordinary Assembly of Delegate Members as soon as there is a definitive proposal to present.

The Board has also approved the appointment of the members of the Financial Commission, which will need to be ratified on Sunday at the Assembly. Carles Tusquets Trias de Bes shall remain on the Commission as its chairman; Antoni Esteve Cruella and Josep Maria Xercavins Lluch also remain; and they are now to be joined by Miquel Lladó and Joan Lluís Garcia Jobal. Director Silvio Elias shall continue as the director assigned to the Financial Commission.

• Miquel Lladó Casadevall (14/5/1957), FC Barcelona member number 123.567, is a graduate in Economic and Business Sciences, the former president of Bimbo and is currently a professor of Strategy at the IESE and a business consultant.

• Joan Lluís Garcia Jobal (21/10/1962), FC Barcelona member number 76.405, is a graduate in Business Sciences and has an MBA from ESADE. He worked for Arthur Andersen and is currently the manager of Angel Jobal SA.

Regarding the sanction imposed by UEFA on FC Barcelona in response to the calls for independence and ‘estelada’ flags waved at the Camp Nou during the Champions League game with Bayer Leverkusen, the Board has decided to ask UEFA to explain the legal grounds on which that sanction was based. This is the preliminary stage towards the appeal that FC Barcelona shall present to the Disciplinary Commission of the governing body of European football.

If the sanction is upheld, FC Barcelona shall be recurring to the CAS, and shall take all resources permitted, including ordinary justice and as far as the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, if necessary. In whatever case, FC Barcelona shall take whatever action is necessary in order to preserve its members’ freedom of expression.

The Board of Directors also discussed the case of an allegation made by an assistant referee who declared that he had received pressure from the Technical Refereeing Committee to favour Real Madrid at the forthcoming Clásico. The Board believes that it is essential for there to be an in-depth investigation into the case and hopes that it has all been a misunderstanding for the good of the prestige and credibility of the Professional Football League.

Finally, with regard to the Tant se val d’on venim project to support the refugees that have recently arrived in Europe, and promoted by the FC Barcelona Foundation, the Board has been informed on the different actions that will be arranged with social and administrative organisations, on the basis of the three core action areas of the project: fundraising, awareness and integration.