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Sandro RosellCurrent president of Barcelona Football Club
Date of Birth: 06.03.1964
Country:  Spain |
Content:
- Alexandre Rosell i Feliu: Early Life and Career
- The Barcelona Years with Laporta
- Post-Barcelona and Criticism of Laporta
- Presidential Campaign and Victory
Alexandre Rosell i Feliu: Early Life and Career
Alexandre Rosell i Feliu was born on March 6, 1964, in Barcelona, Spain. He holds an MBA from ESADE Business School and gained worldwide recognition when he joined his close associate and senior advisor Joan Laporta in the 2003 Barcelona presidential elections. In the same year, Rosell played a significant role in bringing Ronaldinho to Camp Nou.
The Barcelona Years with Laporta
Rosell assisted Laporta's successful bid for the Barca presidency in 2003, securing an overwhelming victory. He promised voters that David Beckham's arrival would be a certainty upon Laporta's election, although he himself was only 80% sure of the deal. However, Beckham opted for Barcelona's fierce rivals, Real Madrid. Due to Beckham's snub, the Barcelona board turned their attention to Brazilian star Ronaldinho of PSG. The Catalan club engaged in a bidding war with Manchester United, who sought the Brazilian as an English replacement. Ronaldinho's move to Barcelona proved crucial to the club's subsequent success, and sources suggest that his signing was largely down to Rosell's friendship with him from his past role as a Nike executive in Brazil.
Post-Barcelona and Criticism of Laporta
After resigning from the Barcelona board in 2005, Rosell published a book, "Welcome to the Real World" ("Benvingut al món real"), in 2006 during Barca's run-up to their eventual Champions League triumph. The book was seen as a direct attack on President Laporta, threatening to reveal the true reasons behind Rosell's resignation. When the ESADE alumnus had the chance to support Laporta's re-election in 2006, as the club's members triggered a vote of no confidence to end Laporta's four-year reign, Rosell did not sign in support of his former friend. Nonetheless, Laporta managed to gather 18,044 signatures to successfully run for re-election.
Post-resignation, Rosell became a frequent critic of Laporta, dissatisfied with his handling of Barca. He stated that there was "absolute anarchy" taking place "in all areas of the club." However, Rosell did approve of Laporta's choice of manager, Pep Guardiola, and supported the president's decision to sign a deal with UNICEF.
Presidential Campaign and Victory
On June 27, 2008, Rosell announced at a press conference his intention to run in the 2010 presidential elections when the incumbent's term expired. At the time, Laporta was facing a motion of no confidence led by Blaugrana fan leader Oriol Giralt, and Rosell supported the move. Laporta accused Rosell of being behind the move against him. When asked why he would vote against his former friend, Rosell said it was because the current board was not independent, democratic, or transparent. On June 13, 2010, Alexandre Rosell i Feliu emerged victorious in the presidential elections, gaining over 60% of the votes from Barcelona members.
