I wanted to write about the elections and the pre-candidates. In fact, the piece was half finished. But, what I have read of Josep Maria Bartomeu and the proposed "Espai Barça" has made me change my mind. Because according to the pre-candidate and former unelected (but legitimate) president, if his candidacy doesn't win it is unlikely that this reform will happen. Let's see:

1) The reform approved by the members was "all or nothing." There was no alternative.

2) A project was presented for a total amount of €600M, when the same Board was against the €300 million "Foster Project" proposed by Joan Laporta... because it was too expensive.

3) The construction of a new Palau Blaugrana was presented for a vote even though it was already included in the electoral program. What is the reason behind this? This new Palau will have a capacity of 10,000 spectators, the minimum demanded by Euroleague basketball. Is there so little confidence in filling it? Why not go with a capacity of 12,000 or 15,000?

4) The Miniestadi disappears. If there were so few people attending (best not to mention the Barça B match against Betis and that ticketing difficulty), do you think that more will attend games at Sant Joan Despi?

5) From the 1st Ring, several rows of seats (we do not know how many) will be removed to make way for a series of "VIP boxes" and "hospitality areas." "UEFA compels us," the board says. This is a LIE. Show us the UEFA regulations obliging that the club do this.

6) WiFi coverage will be placed around the Camp Nou. Wasn't this in the electoral program, and why hasn’t it been done?

7) Catering kitchens and modern smoke extraction systems will be improved, they tell us. But haven’t they seen enough stadiums to realize that what is needed are real restaurants where people can have choices (sandwiches, snacks, menu, "àla Carte" ..) and not an improved system for smoke extraction?

8) Some of the money needed to make the reform will come from the concessions and other spaces (shops, etc.), which become long-term deals (of up to 50 or even 99 years). This was confirmed by the then Vice-president Faus, who was asked about it in one of the presentations of the proposed project. But let's be clear about whether they will give us the money now, or later. What revenues will we have?

9) The number of season ticket holders at the Camp Nou has dropped to 84,000, leaving. 15,000 seats available to the public for each game. But there is still a fairly long waiting list of socis who want a seat. Meanwhile, during the time of Laporta, the seats were replaced with narrower ones, so the actual discomfort is clear enough in many areas of the stadium. The current Board has done nothing to fix it.

10) Therefore, we speak of a renovation from which the socis, beyond escalators and elevators, will receive little benefit. €420m just for the Camp Nou is something I do not think is justified.

Now, make no mistake about one thing: A major reform of the Camp Nou is necessary, for many reasons. And not only the escalators, elevators, toilets and kitchens that are cleaner with better flues. More is required. And I have not heard any pre-candidate saying he will do anything in this regard. But what Bartomeu has done with his stadium project statements is purely emotional blackmail to the socis.

Is a renovation of the Camp Nou necessary? Yes. Clearly.

Is this reform that has been proposed by the board needed? No. Clearly not.

Do we need a President with such ideas? No. Even less so.