(GSM) – Barcelona presidential candidate Sandro Rosell has revealed that he would consider selling shirt sponsorship.
The Catalonia club have never sold shirt sponsorship in it’s 111-year history and Rosell’s comments, who is being tipped to be the next president for the departing Joan Laporta, are bound to cause controversy.
Rosell, who previously held the post of vice-president, left the club in 2005 following a falling out with Laporta, is unwilling to discuss his campaign until officially announcing his plans in May.
“We’re not at election time,” he said.
However, he spoke about the topic of shirt sponsorship which may displease some of the club’s supporters.
One of the last remaining major clubs in the world to resist the lure of bearing logos, Laporta put advertising on the shirt for the first time in 2006 as a humanitarian gesture to UNICEF.
And the club even paid around €1.5million for the privilege.
But Rosell revealed he would consider combining that with a money-making sponsorship deal should economics demand it.
“Everything depends on the club’s finances,” he said. “First you have to see how the club is economically and subsequently make decisions. If you do not know the numbers, you cannot give a very honest view.”
Rosell also spoke about his desire to see a salary cap introduced in football, despite the obvious difficulties enforcing it.
“I would like to see some form of structure, economically,” he said.
“The best way would be to have fixed amounts with incentive-based bonuses for good results. I think that would be the best way to cap wages.”
