Global agreement with UNICEF



UNICEF and FC Barcelona have reached a global agreement to work together over the next five years to help orphaned children in vulnerable situations and, in particular, those that have the HIV/AIDS virus.

Below is the joint statement made by FC Barcelona and UNICEF on Friday.

"UNICEF, the United Nations agency whose goal it is to guarantee children's rights, and Futbol Club Barcelona, through their Fundació, have reached an agreement to work together for the benefit of orphaned children in vulnerable situations, in particular those that are affected by the HIV/AIDS virus.

"With this new global alliance with UNICEF, FC Barcelona, through their Fundaciò, is committed to defending these objectives for the next five years.

"The signatures and the official presentation of the agreement will take place on August 11 at the United Nations headquarters in New York, within the framework of the tour of Mexico and the United States that the first team football squad are undertaking.

"The theme of this accord is Barça, more than a club, a new global hope for vulnerable children.

"UNICEF was founded in 1946 by General Assembly of the United Nations to reply to childrens' urgent needs in Europe which, after World War Two, were in a very precarious situation.

"The first UNICEF programmes allowed emergency help to reach millions of children in the Middle East, China and Europe. Since then, the protection of all children, without distiction of race, beliefs, nationality or religion has become a universal mission that is now almost 60 years old."

-----------------------------------------------------

FC Barcelona, as a club and more, is growing. Membership continues to grow, the trophy cabinet continues to be filled, and our expansion globally continues to grow. We've broken the tradition of not having a shirt sponsor, however we've broken it for a humanitarian group and make no profit from it, rather, we're giving 0.7% of our profits away. Everything you hear from the club is in regards to growing, to expansion and to the continued promotion of the Barça name and what it stands for. I, for one, am proud of the steps the club is taking and applaud the moves we've made in recent times.

Agreement reached with Japanese group Rakunten


FC Barcelona has struck a deal with the Japanese media online group Rakunten. This deal follows the agreements already reached with Tiger and Titan sports, together boosting recognition of FC Barcelona worldwide.

Having finalised the mid-week deals with Tiger beers and media groups Titan Sports CN and Eurosoccer, FC Barcelona has wrapped up the latest of strategic deals with the second biggest media group in the Japan and seventh most important worldwide, Rakunten.

With these deals, FC Barcelona has begun to achieve its objective of strengthening its international image and presence.

Boosting recognition

Using various channels of communication such as: credit cards, internet and Barça publications in Japanese, Rakunten hopes to promote the 'Barça' brand name in Japan.

The first of these agreements is the development of an official website in Japanese using the dominion www.fcbarcelona.jp. Followers of Barça will be able to use the site to sign up and become official members of the club. Rakunten will also launch an official Barça magazine in Japanese where supporters can keep up to date with all the goings on at the club. Finally, a new Visa credit card will be created using the 'Barça' logo - the first overseas credit card ever to do so.

A massive following in Japan

With such deals as mentioned, the presence of FC Barcelona in Japan is sure to increase even more. Many supporters will now have the chance to become official members of the club, with the possibility of creating the biggest overseas following.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Opening of Official shop in Lloret de Mar

A new, official FC Barcelona shop has recently opened in Lloret de Mar on the Costa Brava. Situated in Paseo Marítimo, it is the newest official shop of FC Barcelona - the most important being that of Camp Nou.

Having recently opened two new official shops in the middle of popular tourist destinations in Barcelona, the new shop continues this trend by being situated in the popular destination of Lloret de Mar. The opening of the shop sees the continuing commercial plan of FC Barcelona to expand into strategic locations in order to offer products and services to members and supporters from both home and abroad.

The new 80m2 shop is situated in the affluent tourist zone of Lloret de Mar. Many official products of FC Barcelona can be found, as well as many products from the Nike brand. The shop is open from Monday to Saturday and does not close for lunch.

Currently, FC Barcelona has two official shops in Barcelona, one in the Nou camp, the other near Sagrada Familia. There are other sales points which are provided by shops with a license to sell official products, including one in Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria.

is the UNICEF going to be on the Barca shirt ? i read that somewhere

That is the rummor, all though not for 100% of their matches. I think we'll find out more on Aug 12th.

Agreement signed between Barça and Warner Bros


FC Barcelona and Warner Bros Consumer Products (WBCP) have signed an agreement in Los Angeles by which the American company has sealed the rights to official club products in that continent.

FC Barcelona marketing and commerce manager, Esteve Calzada, and the executive vice-president of international licences and new business initiatives of WBCP, Jordan Sollitto, have signed the agreement, taking advantage of the fact that Barça's tour has taken them to Los Angeles.

Reasons for the deal

Esteve Calzada explained that this new deal "is a development of what is taking football around the world, especially the United States, where it is increasing extremely fast. The major support Barcelona enjoys in the USA and Mexico, as we have seen over these days, means that there are some exciting prospects for this deal".

Jordan Sollitto added that "there is a major boom in football merchandising around the world. We want to be associated with clubs that stand for the same things that we do when seeking new products".

The content

FC Barcelona and Warner Bros Consumer Products (WBCP) have agreed that the American company will have the right to market official club products in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, Brazil and the rest of South America. Warner Bros Consumer Products thus obtains the rights to manufacture, distribute, promote and market official FC Barcelona products all over the American continent.

Following the official presentation, attended by FCB Merchandising's Raul Sanllehí, the Americans were presented with Barça shirts, and the representatives of the Catalan club with pictures of some of the most emblematic cartoon characters that the company has produced over the years.

Four times more money than three years ago


FC Barcelona will make four times as much money out of this year's American tour than they did in 2003, at the start of Frank Rijkaard's period in charge of the team.

There have been spectacular changes at the club since the first team last travelled to North America. The European champions are even more of a media and social attraction than ever, and this has been reflected in the income received from the trip. The club's marketing and commercial manager, Esteve Calzada, claims that takings have quadrupled with respect to three years ago.

Different approach

There are other differences with respect to the previous tour. The 2003 tour also involved three games in the US (Philadelphia, Washington and Boston), but at that time "the fans were just as interested in seeing the opposition (Juventus, AC Milan and Manchester United) as ourselves, whereas this time, we are filling the stadiums on our own". And three years ago, matches were played to half-full stadiums (average attendance 30,000), while Sunday night saw 92,000 people cram into the Los Angeles venue, and at least 50,000 tickets have been sold for each of the remaining games.

Esteve Calzada believes the 'Barça' name is perhaps the most marketable in the footballing world right now, going on to say that "this is the time to start being more selective about the companies we do business with. We are doing well and everybody wants to use us. But we need to appreciate our value and be selective, only choosing to work with the companies that share the same values as the club".

Looking global

Gate receipts are just one part of the income the club will make out of this tour, it is also a valuable promotion of the international distribution of Barça TV, media content (publications, internet, cell phones...), sales of specific rights in different regions, such as the recent agreement with Warner Bros Consumer Products for the right to manufacture, distribute, promote and market official FC Barcelona products around the American continent. The club's desire is to associate its brand name with the biggest names in business that have the strength and experience to take the Barça name to the places it deserves to be.

The Ronaldinho phenomenon

Ronaldinho's presence in FC Barcelona has played a big role in making the team so marketable. But says Calzada "we are more evenly balanced than in 2003. We have a wider range of players fans want to see, and that is reflected in the shirts we sell, which feature a wider range of different player names".

Sport and finance

He goes on to say that "we need to exploit ourselves commercially, and to do that you need a good product to work with", and winning the Liga and Champions League are very important assets in ascertaining this. Calzada has noticed that some clubs, despite achieving success on the pitch, have failed to translate this into a greater bond with the fans or improving club following. "But we do not want people to think that the club only operates as a means of generating money" he adds. "We want people to appreciate the other values that this club is identified with".

Same wavelength as the coaching staff

Club tours are arranged a good 10 to 12 months before they actually happen, and never without receiving the go-ahead of the coaching staff. "Balance is always needed" he says. "There is certainly debate over these matters, but we also come to an agreement. We are on the same wavelength as Txiki".

Barça confident of overhauling Real in soccer rich list.

MADRID, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Spanish and European champions Barcelona believe that they are on course to displace arch-rivals Real Madrid as the top-earning club in world football.

"Right now Barca is the number one team and that is the way we are treated across the globe," the club's director of marketing Esteve Calzada told daily Sport on Monday.

"Barca is the leading brand in world football and our rate of growth is faster than anyone else."

The Catalan club were positioned in sixth place in the rich list of the world's top sides compiled by consultants Deloitte in February.

Real Madrid topped the rankings ahead of former leaders Manchester United, AC Milan, Juventus and Chelsea.

Since then Barca, whose squad includes World Player of the year Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, Deco and Lionel Messi, have retained their Spanish title and won the Champions League while Real ended a third successive season without a major trophy.

Barca are in the middle of a promotional tour of Mexico and the United States where they have drawn huge crowds for their matches against Club Tigres and Chivas Guadalajara.

Calzada said that the interest generated by the tour was far greater than whey they visited North America for the first time in 2003.

"Three years ago the fans came to the stadiums to see our opponents ... now it is us who are filling the stadiums.

"In Los Angeles (for the game against Chivas) 90,000 tickets were sold, a record for a friendly match and for each of the next two games we have already sold 50,000 tickets."

Last week Barca signed an agreement with communications and entertainment giants Warner Bros. to promote, distribute and sell club-branded merchandise throughout the Americas.

They have also concluded a series of deals with businesses in Japan, China and Singapore in an bid to expand their presence in the lucrative Far Eastern market.

Calzada claimed that Barca's entertaining style of football was one of the reasons why they were more popular than English champions Chelsea."

"Having a product that is attractive is important," he said. "Chelsea win but they don't excite the fans."

A special moment


The visit of five of FC Barcelona's players to the children of the MD Anderson Cancer Center has shown the caring side of Barca's pre-season tour.

The tour of the United States has a very clear sporting objective ahead of the upcoming season but there is also an important social and cultural aspect to the trip. This latest visit is a fantastic opportunity to reaffirm the club slogan that "Barca is more than a football club".

The MD Anderson Cancer Center, part of the University of Texas, has an outstanding reputation in its field and it was the youngest patients that received this special trip in the latest stop of the US Tour.

The visitors

Directors, Xavier Sala i Martín and Lander Unzueta joined Txiki Begiristain and the players Rafa Márquez, Juliano Belletti, Carles Puyol, Leo Messi and Gianluca Zambrotta visited the George E. Foreman wing for children. They were accopmpanied by Julio Montesinos from the Spanish Embassy.

Barça and Catalunya promotion a great success


Away from the sporting aspect, On Tour 2006 has served to promote Catalan tourism and the services that FC Barcelona offers to 350 tour operators, press representatives and agencies.

Like the 2004 tour of Asia, Barça has made use of the pre-season visit to different countries to publicise the wide range of facilities on offer at the club in a series of meetings and conferences in the same hotels as the team. The project promoted Camp Nou as a destination for companies to hold dinners and galas (in the presidential box zone, the museum or the Saint-Denis Room), hold work meetings, or make product presentations and a range of other functions.

One example of attracting business, was the possibility that companies could organise football matches in the club's facilities as an incentive for employees. The meetings showed the diversity of what is on offer at FC Barcelona and showed how the club can adapt to the specific needs of all companies. With this offer, the club increases income every year. The club also advertised the chance to have normal and VIP seats among a long list of great offers which went down very well with those in attendance.

Diverse audience

Eduard Moret, Head of Promotions and Toursit Development at FC Barcelona, was pleased with the way the meetings went in Monterrey, Los Angeles, Houston and New York "both for the amount of help and the quality of it", from such diverse institutions as airline companies, golf companies, holiday and tour agencies,among others. "We met many companies that did not the details of what we have to offer and they have shown a great desire to use our facilities," Moret explained, before stating that the best meeting took place in Monterrey where nearly 200 people attended.

Alongside the club's publicity campaign, Catalunya tourism was promoted which was run, in the first leg of the tour by Ignasi de Delàs, the director of Tourism for Catalunya. These presentations showed the tourist attractions of the country, where the city of Barcelona was central.

Tour proves to be a public success



FC Barcelona's tour to Mexico and the United States proved to be a great success with the fans as nearly 300,000 people watched the four games and 52,000 attended the various training sessions.

Now that On Tour 2006 has drawn to a close, it is possible to look back positively on the reception the team received from the public, who were able to see their heroes in the flesh. On the field the players were able to prove throughout the tour why they are so popular as they lived up to the expectation of all the supporters.

Record breakers

A total of 285,202 people attended the four tour matches. 43,000 watched the game against Club Tigres, which Barça won 3-0, in Monterrey. In Los Angeles 92,216 saw the Blaugrana draw 1-1 with Chivas, creating not only a record at the Coliseum stadium, but it was also the highest ever attendance at a football match in the United States. Against Club América, which ended 4-4, in Houston 70,550 were in the stadium, that was a record for a game in the State of Texas. The number beat the previous record of 69,582 that saw the United States play Mexico on May 3, 2003. In the final game of the tour, 79,002 saw FC Barcelona beat New York Red Bulls 4-1 in Giants Stadium, which was the second highest attendance in New Jersey arena. The avreage gate for the four games was 71,300.

Great in practice

Training also proved to be incredibly popular, which approximately 52,000 turning up to watch Barça put through their paces at the four open sessions that were held in each city. At some of these sessions, fans paid to enter the stadium and watch the players train.

Agreement with UNICEF to be made on Thursday



On Thursday, UNICEF and FC Barcelona will make public their alliance; the announcement will coincide with the celebration of the worldwide work achieved by UNICEF.

The motto of the agreement is Barça, more than a club, a new global hope for vulnerable children. The presentation will be made at the United Nations Central office in New York on the 7th September at 17:00 local time (23:00 in Catalonia). Present will be the executive director of UNICEF, Margaret Venemen and president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta.

With this alliance, FC Barcelona will give financial support to projects around the globe. In particular, those which help to protect children where there are humanitarian crises and those where AIDS is on the increase.

International Projection

UNICEF was founded in 1946 by the United Nations general assembly in response to the urgent needs of children across Europe following the Second World War. The organisation since then has worked in 157 different countries worldwide, helping children to survive and make a living for themselves.

As a major provider of vaccines to some of the world's poorest countries, UNICEF works to improve health and nutrition, to see that they receive basic education, to make sure they always have access to clean potable water and that they are protected from violence, exploitation and AIDS.

sorry for being stupid but i can not still understand if Barca will wear the UNICEF logo on their shirts for the CL this year or not. i read it will be only till the end of December.

Not quite. This thursday, they will anounce the agreement in more detail in NYC. We should find out then exactly what the deal is. From what I understand, they will have the logo for all CL matches. We'll know in about 6 days.


The thing about December was just saying that if it didn't get done before December, then it would have to be with a new UN leader, as Kofi Anan will end his term in December.

We will wear the Unicef logo for our first CL game at home, on September 12th. We won't be using it all throughout the CL though, just on certain occasions.

Have they said yet how often?

I'm not sure, but it's meant to be used on 'special' occasions. The opening CL home game apparently fits that description.

Article from Sports Illustrated;

Reports: Barcelona to sport UNICEF message on shirts
Saturday Sep 2, 2006 7:14 AM

MADRID, Spain (AP) -European champion FC Barcelona will reportedly sport the UNICEF logotype on its shirts after it signs a collaborative agreement with the children's charity next week.

The front of Barcelona's dark red and blue striped jersey has never carried advertising in competitive games but the club will reportedly make its first break with tradition on Sept. 12, when it hosts Levski Sofia in the Champions League. Barcelona has advertised Catalan station TV3 on the left arm of its shirt since 2005.

The club said on its Web site it will ink the five-year deal with UNICEF at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Thursday, although it made no mention of shirt advertising. No one was available at Barcelona to comment.

Under the agreement, which will bear the slogan "Barcelona, more than a club, a new global hope for vulnerable children,'' the Catalan team will contribute to the financing of UNICEF humanitarian projects.

Barcelona, the only major European team not to wear an advertisement, has in the past negotiated with Chinese authorities to advertise the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and Austrian online betting company BetandWin. Neither deal was finalized.

Club president Joan Laporta then announced that the team had ruled out any type of commercial shirt sponsorship and would instead seek to promote a humanitarian message. Barcelona won the Champions League and the Spanish league titles last May to culminate one of the most successful seasons in its history.

"The UNICEF agreement defines our singularity"

This evening, Barça TV will broadcast an in-depth interview with FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta. In a relaxed conversation, Laporta goes over some of the most important issues at the club, and analyses plans for the future.



The interview comes four days before the president travels to the United Nations headquarters in New York. On Thursday the clubs link with UNICEF will be officially unveiled, which via the Foundation will involve financial support for UNICEF projects in different parts of the world.

The following is a transcript of some of the interview with Joan Laporta:

Your second presidency has started. How has the club changed since the summer of 2003?

"In 2003, it was all new. It was an authentic, secure proposal for change and most of the members put their faith in it. This second presidency is the continuation of those changes. It represents recognition of what we have achieved, and we are satisfied because we have done what we set out to do. We have new challenges and renewed excitement. We are very enthusiastic about this second presidency."

What is the biggest difference between seeing Barça from outside and from inside?

"The difference is the responsibility of the job, what running the club means and that is very different to seeing Barça from outside. You keep thinking and talking about Barça but from within. There is a management model and institutional representation that has to be present in everything you do."

When did the Barça president feel the strength of the members, the weight of the club?

"The strength of the members can be seen clearly when you win the Champions League, the league, a difficult match... And then there are intangible aspects that make the strength of Barça, what Barça can do for people. What you feel when you sense a person in need, suffering from illness, and before something potentially tragic happens, what they want more than anything else is to see a Barça game, to meet a player. It is something extraordinary, very emotional. Because there are people that live in suffering and Barça is what brings happiness into their lives."



As president of Barça, if you had to choose, what would you prefer: Joan Laporta, president of the biggest non-political institution in the country; president of the biggest sports club in the country, or president of the biggest football club in the country?

"Joan Laporta, president of the biggest sports club in the country. Because that covers everything. And if it could be the biggest sports club in an independent, caring, democratic, Catalan country, so much the better."

Would you be concerned if things were reduced to a matter of whether the team wins or loses?

"We have moved on from whether the ball goes in or not. The ball is going in. We are enjoying one of the best periods of our history, but we haven't fallen into the trap of reductionism because Barça is more than a club. And now we can say that more than ever, because Barça represents the identity of the Catalans, it projects us worldwide. And now that we have a corporate strategy that makes Barça more than just a club in the world, it makes for a humanitarian, caring club par excellence. A club that is concerned, that wants to help people in need, that wants to form part of the everyday lives of its citizens. Everybody wants to enjoy Barça in their lives."

What is stronger, the institution of the club, or the European champion team?

"The institution and the team. Both are very strong. One thing makes the other, they are related. The institution has to be ready to help the team. It is the teams umbrella. We have to realise that winning is very difficult and right now we are enjoying one of our best moments ever on all levels, and the institution needs to be strong, and hold up the team. That is why Barça members have to be excited."

Can historic emergencies return to Barça, and would the second Champions League be the antidote?

"With a third Champions league, historic emergencies would not return. But we need a third Champions League at least. We need to work towards it by making an effort with our culture, by working, something we have at all levels of the club."



You have said that Barça has to win the Champions League of solidarity every year. Do Barcelona fans understand this idea?

We have put a lot of effort into explaining why Barça has become more than a club and how it works in solidarity programmes to help starving children, ill children, children that need training, education. And that will not only be through the UNICEF agreement, but also through the clear and decided position of the Foundation. If we do things well, like winning the Champions League of solidarity every year, it is important that we are dedicated to the cause."

You are the first Barça president to travel outside of Catalonia and Spain on a regular basis, like to Morocco and Sarajevo. Is it these trips that have made you want to link the club to children?

"We have seen the support, the appreciation, the need for Barça. And when I say Barça, I mean a world standard setting sports club that can affect the societies that need it. On those trips, the idea was generated. But it has been a joint idea of the whole board. We believe Barças singularity makes it possible."

On the terracing, we can now read the words "More than a Club". Has that slogan ever meant quite as much to the media as it does right now?

"More than a club is a sensation that Barcelona fans created. We thought that we should express what represents the Catalan identity of Barça, with a support that means much more than just sport and we feel that More than a Club has content, More than a Club has strength and we want to promote that in a very decided way and placing Barça as more than a club in the world ".

Is it possible to be 'More than a Club, win titles and be financially viable?

"It is possible. It is what we have to do and get stronger all the time. It is very important to win titles, because it strengthens the team financially and helps make reinforcements. And it also generates support and loyalty. It is a viscous circle that in this case is working upwardly, and we need to take advantage of it to promote the values of sportsmanship, civil duty, solidarity, Catalanism. Always respecting evrybody, because in Barça there are different sensitivities, which we should respect. We can promote these values, which are shared by most Barcelona fans. And this promotion of values is very important because it makes us more than a club. We want Barça to play well, to win, to play fair, but we also want the club to have that identification with the country."

The Barça shirt will carry the UNICEF logo. But you have always said Barça will never wear shirt advertising and this is not a sponsorship deal?

"It is singularity. Barça will be the only club in the world that has opted for solidarity. We are rejecting potential money from shirt advertising from a commercial brand, but that is the balance between what Barça represents, the values we want to promote and the strength Barça should have from an institutional standpoint. A financially strong club, that is rich, socially fair and also gets success in sports.



So the deal with UNICEF is an exchange of potentialities?

"We will position Barça in the world, defining it perfectly as a club showing solidarity, humanitarianism and that participates in programmes for children via the Foundation. We will be giving one and a half million euros over five years. We guarantee that contribution. So, this is a challenge for us, for the Foundation, to earn those funds. And we visualise UNICEF on our shirts, and it is not sponsorship. I believe there are collateral affects of this agreement that represent the image of Barça, and the Foundation, and the institution, and that can only be good for the club."

President Laporta, what is your personal goal?

"To dedicate our efforts to the prestige of the institution, and for Barcelona fans to enjoy Barça being in their lives. In all areas. Sporting, financial, social, solidarity, the nation. That is the path we have set ourselves upon. Towards freedom".

The FC Barcelona board of directors often refers to the idea of continued success as a shared challenge. How do you achieve that target?

"Working. With a culture of work, effort, responsibility, the desire to serve Barça fans ands all the people running the club need to share these values. We need to achieve as much adhesion as possible, because, as the anthem says: All together we build strength".

Barça in the European Club Forum

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has been chosen to be the new vice-president of the executive committee of the UEFA European Club Forum in a meeting held in Nyon, Switzerland.

The 31 clubs that former the European Club Forum voted today (Monday) that Laporta should be the first new vice-president of the executive committee, which is presided over by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. The Barça president will also sit on the UEFA Strategy Committee.

Dialogue platform

The UEFA European Club Forum was founded in the summer of 2002 as a platform to inensify relations between UEFA and Europe's principal clubs. During the meetings topics are diverse as clubs discuss such matters as European club competitions, marketing and commerical interests.

Champions League strategy

The latest meeting of the UEFA European Club Forum will be held on Tuesday and will concentrate on the new Champions League campaign and the strategy that will be emplyed for marketing the Champions League between 2006 and 2009.

El Barça to oversee Arsenal's youth football



From this September, an agreement comes into effect whereby FC Barcelona will oversee the youth football structure at Argentinian club Arsenal de Sarandi.

The contract was signed by FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta and Arsenal FCs Julio Ricardo Grondonaon on April 29, and covers the next five football seasons.

Selection process

The agreement means that Barça will implant a selection process between September and December to complete all of Arsenal's squads aged between 10 and 18 years. Trials will be held in four different places in Argentina (Buenos Aires, Rosario, Mar de Plata and Tandil), seeking to find and nurture new youth talent.

A new model

In return for overseeing the scouting process, Barça will have perennial treatment on Arsenal players, and depending on how things go, the idea may be extended to other clubs. Txiki Begiristain, technical secretary of FC Barcelona has said the agreement "enables direct control over a football that generates many players. And we can monitor the players without having to take them away from their family environment ".

Arsenal FC was founded on January 11, 1957 and has played in the Argentinian top flight since May 2002. Coached by Gustavo Alfaro, the Sarandí based club plays its home games at the Estadio Julio Humberto Grondona, and is currently tenth in the Closing Championship, having won two, draw one and lost one game.

"A historic agreement"

Speaking in Paris, where he stopped over on his way to New York, Club president Joan Laporta stressed the important of the agreement with UNICEF: "It's a historic agreement that positions our organisation as "More than a club" throughout the world".

Representatives of the Club are on their way to New York, via Paris, to present the agreement with UNICEF. Moments before boarding their transatlantic flight, Joan Laporta once again expressed his satisfaction: "It represents a historic agreement that positions our organisation as 'More than a club' throughout the world. We are very satisfied because its the beginning of a challenge and this challenge is beginning to turn into concrete objectives".

Laporta described the agreement with UNICEF as "an initiative with soul...it means winning the 'Champions League' on a social level. Our organisation is positioning itself to help children. That means that Barca has a future as it is helping the children of the world".

An example to all

According to Laporta "It's a historic moment as it is a prestigious logo and not just a publicity brand. It's an honour to wear the UNICEF logo because it's an agreements without precedent for UNICEF as well".

The UNICEF emblem makes its debut on Tuesday




From 12 o'clock on Tuesday (local time), the new Barca strip with the UNICEF logo will be available in the Barca shop, FCBotiga, at the Camp Nou as well as at major retail outlets across the country.

Timed to coincide with the presentation of the agreement between Barca and UNICEF, fans will be able to purchase the new first-team strip with the emblem of the United Nation's campaign for children's rights.

In the same way that it is possible to get a number and name on a shirt, fans will be able to pick up the jersey with the new logo printed on the front.



Official debut against Levski Sofia

The new first team jerseys are being prepared ahead of their first appearance on Tuesday, when the Champions League tie against Bulgarian side Levski Sofia takes place at the Camp Nou.

Call me a cynic, but I see this as a very clever way of getting Barca fans used to having a sponsor on the shirt. Maybe in five or so years when the contract runs out it might be replaced with a more commercial sponsor.

You heard it here first!

i applaud Barca for what they have done, they could have put any other commercial logo on their shirt & earned millions but they opted to go for the unicef logo and contribute around 1M to them every year, but the question is do you really think UNICEF will benefit from having their logo on Barca's shirt ? what will it actually do for them ?

Lots of people have been suggesting that and to be honest I don't know if it'll happen or not.

What I do know is that we haven't sold our soul to the devil just yet. Technically we're the one's sponsoring Unicef and not vice versa, since we're donating money to them every year. All other clubs have companies pay them to advertise on their shirts. I'm proud of our partnership with Unicef and I hope our act urges more sporting organizations to follow suit & do the same.

I actually didn't think the logo on the shirt looked too bad. The yellow lettering is definetely better than the white we saw at first. It didn't bother me that much but obviously I would prefer no writing on the shirt. However, if the money that we're donating helps even one child in some third-world country then I'll be glad.

So even if we do end up getting an actual sponsor later on, at least we've done some good for the world and didn't sell out right away.

Mes que un club!

Some articles regarding the matter:

Barça take the moral high road
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2006/09/..._high_road.html

Everybody knew Barcelona's shirt would end up carrying a logo sooner or later, but nobody could've guessed whose.

Fair play to Barcelona.

For over a century club bosses stubbornly resisted the march of time and capitalism to keep their team strip sponsor-free, at a time when every other club from football's upper echelons right down to your average Sunday League side had given in to financial expediency. To be fair this may have profited them, with their logo-free red-and-blue-striped tops taking on something of an iconic status worldwide, and it was always assumed that when they did eventually sell out they would be all set to command unparalleled sums for the taking of their sponsorship virginity.

Instead, quite without warning, Barcelona's top brass have gone in a very different direction. Last Thursday, president Joan Laporta signed up to a five-year collaborative agreement with Unicef that will see Barcelona not only sport the children's charity's banner on its shirts, which they did for the first time yesterday night against Levski Sofia, but also contribute just over £1m to its humanitarian projects each year. Obviously that sort of money is barely going to register a dent in the club's finances, but if you take into account how much they could have made from selling to a conventional sponsor [surely even more than Juventus's £15m-a-year deal with Tamoil], the decision is staggering.

"For the first time in our more than 107 years of history, our main soccer team will wear an emblem on the front of its shirt," said Laporta at a Unicef executive committee meeting. "It will not be the brand name of a corporation. It will not be a commercial to promote some kind of business. It will be the logo of 'Unicef'. Through Unicef, we, the people of FC Barcelona, the people of 'Barça', are very proud to donate our shirt to the children of the world who are our present, but especially are our future."

The conspiracy theorists will paint this as just another cynical marketing ploy by a club that is doing a fine job of casting itself as 'everybody's second favourite team', but with the sort of popularity and worldwide appeal they already had, I find that argument hard to swallow. Barcelona's squeaky-clean image has been overstated at times and I don't doubt for a second that they have been guilty of as much gamesmanship and underhand tactics on the pitch as any other team, but after constant reminders of the greed in football over recent weeks, let's give some credit where it's due to a team that's giving something back, even if only a little.

Barcelona's New Uniforms Have a Logo and a Message
By JACK BELL
Published: September 13, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/13/sports/s...amp;oref=slogin

Barcelona was wearing its newest finery yesterday as it began defense of its European Champions League title against visiting Levski Sofia of Bulgaria. The jerseys had the familiar blue and red vertical stripes, but a new addition was the name splashed across the front, Unicef.

Last week, Barcelona's president, Joan Laporta, was at the United Nations, where he signed an agreement to put a sponsor's name on the front of the team’s jersey for the first time since the club's founding in 1899.

"If you look at our history, this is a club that has always represented the values of citizenship, sport and democracy in the Catalan capital," Laporta said in an interview Friday before returning to Spain. "We are a club that appreciates talent and tolerance. Through 107 years we have represented those values, and in that time our shirt has never been sold."

Barcelona was alone among the top clubs in the world in spurning lucrative offers to sell advertising space on its jersey. Laporta said the club had repeatedly declined offers, including one that would have paid it $22 million a year and another from the Beijing Olympic organizing committee. By comparison, Chelsea of England began a five-year sponsorship deal with Samsung Electronics in 2005 that pays it $18.7 million a season.

Instead, it is Barcelona that will pay Unicef, the United Nations Children's Fund, nearly $2 million a year for the next five years for the right to use the Unicef logo in all competitions, Laporta said. The first program to benefit will focus on AIDS education for children in Swaziland.

"Our message is that Barcelona is more than a club, and a new global hope for vulnerable children," he said. "It is a humanitarian message. It represents the identify of our club that we see as a defender of freedom and democratic rights and facing up to others in a time of governments without tolerance".

Laporta declined to say whether he was drawing a comparison between his club and its main rival, Real Madrid. Barcelona and Catalonia, an autonomous region of Spain, have long had a contentious relationship with the central government. That was especially true in the days of the dictator Francisco Franco, an unabashed Real supporter.

In yesterday's game, five different players scored as Barcelona defeated Levski Sofia, 5-0. Barcelona is trying to become the first team to win back-to-back European club championships since A.C. Milan in 1989 and 1990. Those Milan teams included Barcelona's current coach, Frank Rijkaard.

"It is important that we try to present an image of sport in the world that changes the idea that football is only about money, but that it has a heart and a soul" Laporta said.

Audi and FC Barcelona sign sponsorship deal

Audi and FC Barcelona have agreed terms on Thursday for a deal by which the German car manufacturer will become a sponsor and official supplier of the football club for the next two seasons.

The presentation of the deal was attended by Audis Spanish division manager Jesús Gasanz, and FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta, as well a selection of representatives of Frank Rijkaard's squad. Audi presented models of its brand new Audi Q7s to each member of the FC Barcelona first team.

The new Audi Q7 sets new standards in the world of Sports Utility Vehicles. It combines sporting qualities with versatility, and merges the very latest technology with luxury elements.

Sponsorship programme

Through this deal, yet another top brand has joined the group of renowned companies that sponsor the club. Audi has gained worldwide recognition for its sporting, dynamic, creative and modern values. Audi has become a club sponsor because it was attracted by size and stature of the Catalan giants, which, according to a company spokesman, "extends our emotional connection to thousands of football supporters".

Audi has become the first official FC Barcelona sponsor to also secure advertising rights, which involves the right to associate itself to the club's name and create joint marketing ventures involving both the team and the company.

I find it so strange that Audi would sponsor both Madrid and Barca.

Does anyone know where i can purchase a shirt with the unicef logo online to the UK?

From the Barca web page I would imagine.

I've read that the new shirts with the Unicef logo are flying off the shelves. There's huge lines and the children's section is already sold out.

Seems like we'll be making a nice bit of profit from them afterall.

I get mine tomorrow! My parents fly back here from Barcelona, and they had specific instructions to bring me back either an Oleguer-23 if they could actually find one, or a Messi-19 if they couldn't order an Oleguer-23.

There is a chance they will get one without the UNICEF though.... depending on what they could find.

FC Barcelona now has 151,127 members

Xavier Cambra, secretary and spokesman of the Board of Directors, has announced that the club now has 151,127 members, which goes to show just how much interest there is in the club right now.

After the Board meeting this Thursday, Xavier Cambra announced "a number that especially excites us ". Because Barça now have more than 150,000 members, 151,127 to be precise. The club membership is increasing at an unprecedented rate, with an average of 2,300 new members a month.

Xavier Cambra claims that there is no limit on the number of members the club can have, and puts this latest success down to "the interest that the club and team are generating".

Internal restructuring

The secretary added that the Board has accepted a number of changes in responsibilities among the Board. Antoni Rovira will no longer be working with the Supporters Clubs, a role that will be assumed by Joan Boix, who was also working in the Social Area. Rovira will now be in charge of club relations with Catalan cultural bodies and associations, under the supervision of vice president Albert Vicens.

Joan Laporta becomes president of the Social Commission, while vice president Alfons Godall will act as coordinator.

Increased attendance

The general assembly to be held on Saturday in the Palau Blaugrana was the main topic of discussion at the Board meeting. Xavier Cambra has explained that the Barcelona Supporters Care Centre (OAB) has been phoning all people involved to make sure they attend: "The response has been very good" he said. "We get the impression that the assembly will be well attended and will get plenty of people participating."

If i buy it on their website i dont think that the unicef logo comes with it. Im unsure of a site that cells them with the logo on. I went to a sports shop in the UK today but they wernt selling with the logo, does anybody suggest a way of buying it with logo in the UK?

Green light for accounts and responsibilities




The members' representatives have given their approval, to the financial dealings of 2005/06 and the budget for the up and coming campaign.



With an overwhelming majority of 95% support, Joan Laporta and the board have been given the go ahead to close the accounts from last season and proceed with the pre-determined budget this season. With 565 votes in favour, 7 against and 17 no votes supporting the season of 2005/06, and for the budget this year; 339 in favour, 3 against and 2 no votes.

A winning formula

Ferran Sorian, vice economic president of the club, has revealed that at the close of the 2005/06 season, the club had generated a 33 million Euro profit; a figure that reflects "a model, which for the third year in succession, has generated profits". This season "the model resists the temptation to predict the club will win La Liga and the Champions League in the same season", he proceeded: "the success has brought in a lot and we've avoided spending excessively".

Soriano highlighted that the club's income of 259 million Euros is double what it was three years ago. The continued success of the club has seen to profits rising every year (51.2 million Euros more than last year) - and this is not including the 20 million television contract.

Regarding spending, "it has been under control" said Sorian, despite the successes of last season. He also took this opportunity to highlight the success of the new wage scheme for the players (fixed wage with benefits), which were imposed three years ago. "When Barça wins, everybody benefits. The players have accepted this and it has worked well", explained Soriano.

Before closing the session, Ferran Sorian gave thanks to the members for their continued support: "in three years theyve never disapproved of anything".

A budget of 300 million Euros

Ferran Sorian has described the budget for the current campaign as "ambitious", with 300 million coming in and 280 million going out, therefore, 20 million available to spend. Without losing sight of the objective that by the year 2010, all debts the club owes to the bank will have been paid off.



For this season, a rise in profit is predicted at around 40 million Euros - Including the television contract. Taking everything into account, the club should achieve 300 million Euros; a figure that exceeds predictions in 2003 - and they were already ambitious enough", said Soriano, who recognizes that this will be the most Barça has ever achieved.

During the season, FC Barcelona wants to give back 32 million Euros to the bank to reduce the debt owed. 2.1 million will go to the foundation of the club and last but no means least, 1.5 million will go to UNICEF.

love the thing they're doing for UNICEF.....and the UNICEF logo actually looks good on the Barca jersey!
Barca - 2nd best club in the world.. after Arsenal

I heard they sold out the UNICEF shirts (the first 'batch' of them) in a matter of days! This is from my brother, so who knows if it is true..... I'm not sure where he heard it.

"My dream is for the children to have a better future"

The FC Barcelona Foundation and the Edmilson Foundation are to join forces in helping the needy in the player's home town, Taquaritinga, in another example of the Brazilian international's social conscience.

Edmilson's deep religious convictions and his commitment to helping the poor are by now well known. He has created the Edmilson Foundation, which will soon begin working with the FC Barcelona Foundation. He recently gave an interview to Barca TV to explain how the two organisations will work together.

What exactly is the Foundation?

"The Edmilson Foundation is a dream I've had for some time, since I began to play for Sao Paulo, then for Lyon and then Barcelona. Since I was a child, I've had the idea of helping the children of my town. Ive been working hard on this for many years".

How will the Edmilson Foundation and the FC Barcelona Foundation work together?

"This is a project to give children a way forward, to give them an apprenticeship so that they can work in the future. Together with the FC Barcelona Foundation, we will give them the opportunity to work for sport so that the children have a dream and can become footballers, lawyers, dances. I have the dream to carry out this project so that the children can go out and have a better future".

What do you think of the Barca Foundation?

"It's important because it tries to help children and people in need. There's the collaboration with UNICEF and other aid projects. This union is very important as is the work we do in the Edmilson Foundation. Barca is a well known club and this will open many doors to us".

What's your opinion about Barca working with the FC Barcelona Foundation?

"I think it's important, mainly for needy children. FCB has demonstrated this with the agreement with UNICEF and with the projects it already has with the Foundation, helping not only with work in Africa but also in other places in the world. I think this union with FC Barcelona is very important because Barca is known throughout the world and doors open for us. People see that we are doing a job in Brazil and that it doesnt consist always of giving more and more money. They believe in us and mainly in Brazil. We want to be transparent and show them that the work of the Edmilson Foundation is serious, and I hope there can be more in other places".

It's hoped to create a training centre for young people in difficult circumstances. The centre will be in your home town of Taquaritinga in Sao Paolo. What are the social problems there?

"I lived there with my parents until I was 15. Then I left to play football. Some of my friends are dead and others are in a bad way due to drugs and alcohol. Some of them are already married and divorced. There's a lot of delinquency in the town. There are 12 year olds who are already dealing drugs. And it's a very poor town. There's a lot of economic need. Those parents who are working earn very little: its very difficult to pay for a child's education. We want to do this job to get the children off the streets and into school in the Foundation so that they can follow a course".

You carry out a number of activities to give psychological support but sport is an important support for children's development. It can be a good way out, can't it?

"Of course, it always has been. Sport, and I'm speaking about myself here, has helped me a lot. And not just me. I believe it has opened many doors for all the players who come from Brazil as well as Africa. I have this project in my heart and the most important thing is, that independently of what the children do, I'm doing it from the heart and with the desire to be a winner in life, which is the most important thing. The truth is that football has a huge following and my image could be an example. We are working in sport and in everything else because society doesn't just need sportspeople, it needs trained men and women with the capacity to be important within society".

Do footballers have to give an example?

"Always. And I'm not doing this to get into politics. There are people who say that Edmilson is the politician of Taquaritinga and thats why I'm appearing now. I don't have that ambition. Independently of being a footballer, I'm doing this from the heart, for a better future for the children. I think that most people with money can do this and help others".

Some of your team-mates also have foundations and collaborate in other causes but you also have a lot of work as footballers. What do you think about Barca's start to the season?

"I think it's always important to win and pick up points in the league. You have to be consistent and were going very well. The team's in good form in the league. We have a tough match in London, another one in the Nou Camp and then in Madrid. The month of October is full of difficult matches and I think the squad in general is getting used to the rotations. The players are relaxed. There's a lot of confidence because we won the Champions League last season. We'll be strong this season. We started well with the Spanish Super Cup then we lost the European Super Cup and people started to say we weren't in good form. The main thing is for us to grow bit by bit. The main thing is that the players with the most weight, such as Ronnie, Deco and Samuel, who will soon be back with us, are on the way up. That's a calming factor".

Is it hard to get a place in the starting line-up?

"I think that Barca has more than 11 first team regulars because all the players are good enough to be so. Thats very important for the Club. When you have so many players of such high quality you have to compete at a high level and that's very difficult. But we have a very focused group, great players, and we need all of them".

How's the knee infection that stopped you joining up with Brazil?

"It's nothing, just an inflammation. I have to do some special training, following a recovery programme for the arthroscopy I had last summer. I think I'll be ready to join the squad for the Sevilla match. I have to take it easy in training due to the inflammation, but Im relaxed. I think I'll be 100% fit".

91.220 spectators

An astonishing 91.220 fans packed into the Camp Nou for the FC Barcelona v Sevilla game, far outnumbering the attendances for the other home matches played so far this season.

After 2 weeks without league action it was no surprise that the FC Barcelona faithful would be keen to see their heroes in action. And Sevilla v Barca is a wonderful way to start again. After the August Supercup final between the two teams there was always going to be a lot of interest.

The fact that the game was not available on any TV network also helped bolster the numbers at the game and what a game those lucky fans enjoyed.

Guinness world record in the Camp Nou

More than 91.000 fans that made the trip to the stadium thanks to the initiative by the FC Barcelona Foundation. Under the slogan 'Stand up for Poverty', the spectators all rose to their feet before the game in support of the eight objectives outlined to eradicate poverty in this millennium.

Nike and FC Barcelona agree new deal


FC Barcelona and Nike inc. (NYSE:NKE) have reached an agreement to extend their current deal by five years until 2013. The deal is thought to be worth around 150m Euros (189m Dollars)

The agreement also includes a clause whereby the contract can be extended five years more until the year 2018.

"FC Barcelona is one of the best football teams and one of the most attractive to watch. We are extremely satisfied in extending this contract", said Mark Marker, president and CEO of Nike Inc. "The relationships we hold with top football clubs such as FC Barcelona help us to maintain our role in the world's most popular sport and to be the most important brand in the world of football".

'More than a club to the world'

FC Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, also has expressed his satisfaction with the deal struck with Nike: "The agreement is an international recognition of the level the club has achieved both by its on field success and social commitments". Joan Laporta also said that "we value the force that Nike gives and that it will continue to provide because FC Barcelona is more than a club to the world".

The contribution to the position

The virtue of Nike as a sponsor means that FC Barcelona will be involved in significant marketing campaigns during the five year deal, which will help contribute to the recognition of FC Barcelona being more than a club to the world. In this sense, the club will reach a five year agreement with UNICEF; giving its support to diverse projects laid out under the millennium objectives of the United Nations.

A lasting relationship

The relationship between Nike and FC Barcelona started in 1998. Nowadays the North American business supplies over fifty countries with the FC Barcelona brand, its t-shirts being one of the most popular in the world. FC Barcelona is also gaining in popularity in the US, where they took part in a pre-season tour of New York, Los Angeles and Houston, with over 240,000 supporters in total.

Nike doubles investment in Barcelona

October 28, 2006

MADRID (AFP) - Sportswear company Nike have signed a new sponsorship agreement with Spanish giants Barcelona which will see them invest a minimum of 150 million euros over a five year period ending in 2013.

The agreement could be extended by a further five years after that the Catalan club said on its website Saturday.

The new agreement doubles Nike's financial involvement in Barcelona from the 15 million euros a year previously equalling what the company invests in English giants Manchester United.

On top of the minimum investment, will come bonuses and royalties based on results on the pitch and the sales of Barcelona team shirts which could lift the annual figure to 45 million euros, Spanish press reports said.

Barcelona, whose annual budget tops 300 million euros, in June sold television coverage rights of its matches in the period 2006 to 2013 for one billion euros.
---------------------------------

That's good stuff.

That's nice, I love Nike. (it's not an advertise, relax)
Our shirts this year are awesome, and Nike proved once again that they're worthy of taking care for Barca's equipment. So, when the financial stuff is improved, too, it's all good news for the club.

p.s. and all this "Puma stuff" did exactly what we expected - improving Nike's offer to Barca.

FCB, mes que un club. The foundation Barcelona has started to promote it's belief that they are more than a club, through UNICEF as we all know, has started two TV spots:

First Spot:



Second Spot:

The most important match of all has started



The world now knows about FC Barcelonas campaign for solidarity. 128 countries will broadcast the advertisement that was presented on Monday and defines why Barça is 'more than a club'.

This is the most important game of all. To coincide with World Childrens Day, Barça and its foundation have launched a solidarity campaign in the form of an advertisement that is being broadcast simultaneously and free of charge in 128 countries and which reflects the club's social commitments.

Click Here to view the advertisement.



On Monday at 20.00, the promotional film was presented in the Camp Nou Press Room, in an event presented by President Joan Laporta, the manager of the Foundation Lander Unzueta and social vice-president Alfons Godall. Several other people also came along to show their support, including acting councillor Joaquim Nadal, the general secretary for sport Rafel Niubó and representatives of Akasvayu, sponsors of the Foundation, and many of the companies that sponsor Barça.

The Barça president reminded listeners that "we have not and do not wish for anything other than to return to society what society gives to us every day".

A time for thought

President Joan Laporta asked those present to think about the three main aspects that have led to the launching of this campaign. First, he said that "Barça is more than a club in Catalonia and in Spain. Now it has the potential to be more than a club in the world".



Secondly he insisted that "football is a sport with a soul and that is why FC Barcelona's gesture has been so widely accepted internationally".

And finally, Laporta added that "society was waiting for a gesture of this magnitude" which is evident from the expectation it has generated on a worldwide basis.

Watched around the world

This expectation has been shown in the way 128 countries will be able to see this advertisement at the same time and in all five continents via Eurosport (also Eurosport 2 and Eurosport News), ESPN, Nippon TV, ART, Televisió de Catalunya (also TV3 internacional) and Barça TV through the more than 50 channels that distribute its signal internationally.

In total, 128 countries will be able to see this advert thanks to the collaboration of these channels, which will be showing it at no financial cost to FC Barcelona. This campaign is probably the most extensive in the entire history of Spanish advertising.



Contrapunto

FC Barcelona asked Contrapunto Barcelona if they were interested in communicating the club's social commitment to solidarity, its actions and programmes that will take it onto a world level, and its global alliance with Unicef. And they did not hesitate in accepting the offer. Contrapunto is an agency that has historically been associated to social causes through its work with such clients as Amnesty International, WWF, the Secretaria General de Asuntos Sociales and Fundación de Ayuda contra la Drogadicción, among many others. The agency is also enjoying a fine moment after being named Agency of the Year at the Festival El Sol and fifth in the world at Cannes 2006.

More than 156,000 members


FC Barcelona has more members than ever. On June 30, there were 156,366, the highest figure ever, which means growth of 7.92% over the last twelve months.

The 2006-07 season has been another of growth in the number of Barça club members. On June 30, 2007, it can be announced that the club has its highest membership ever.

‘The Great Challenge’ does the trick

The ‘Great Challenge’ was created in 2003 as a campaign to increase the club membership. It has had the desired effect, with 11,484 new registrations this last year alone.

There have been increases in excess of 10,000 for four years in a row. Growth in 2003-04 was 14,244. In 2004-05 it was 10.628 and in 2005-06 it was 13.875.

17% foreigners

One of the most impressive stats is that 17% of the new members this year live abroad, which shows just how much of an effect Barcelona is having on the international market. Most of these new registrations were made via the club website, and all these members enjoy the same rights and benefits as their other members.

Balanced ages

The distribution by ages reflects just how much FC Barcelona is a club for all the family, however old you are. There is little difference between the ages of members, although there are slightly higher figures for the 26 to 35 and 36 to 45 ranges, which both have 16.5% of the total. The smallest group is children from 0 to 5 years, but they still make up 8% of the club.

Last seasons Champions League money paid out by UEFA has been announced. The top 12:

1. Milán: 39.592.000 €.
2. Chelsea: 34.662.000 €.
3. Liverpool: 32.218.000 €.
4. PSV: 31.600.000 €.
5. Manchester Utd: 31.533.000 €.
6. Roma: 31.086.000 €.
7. Inter: 29.582.000 €.
8. Bayern Munich: 28.732.000 €.
9. FC Barcelona: 22.702.000 €.
10. Olympique Lyon: 22.647.000 €.
11. Valencia: 22.601.000 €.
12. R. Madrid: 21.026.000 €.

There is a system to it, but I can't be bothered to look it up

A percentage of the money is divided in a certain way. i think it was about 590 million divided.

Roma gets 10 million more for going to an extra round, or Inter gets 7 more for causing trouble. i would be interested to see how they do this

FC Barcelona to sign a historic alliance with UNESCO



On Friday November 23, FC Barcelona, through its Foundation, will sign a collaboration agreement in Paris with Unesco, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The event will be held at the Unesco headquarters and will be attended by president Joan Laporta Unesco general manager Koichiro Matsuura. The agreement also involves the participation of the UNESCOCAT centres and the Spanish National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO.

Little more than a year after signing an agreement with Unicef, FC Barcelona’s Foundation has settled another strategic alliance in order to further establish the club’s position as a caring institute and to promote the fact that it is “more than a club in the world”.

It is the first time that a sports club’s foundation has signed a global agreement with Unesco to promote universal education, one which will be especially aimed at children and the use of sport as en educational tool.

The main areas of collaboration established for the agreement with UNESCO are:

• The promotion of the values of sport through educational and awareness activities, with special attention to the fight against racism and violence and sport.
• The promotion of the values of sport through raising awareness of the dangers of doping.
• The fostering of social inclusion, education and literacy in the most underprivileged sectors of children and youth.
• The creation of a Unesco – FC Barcelona Chair for education and citizenship through sport.

Club website now in seven languages

www.fcbarcelona.com

The FC Barcelona website is now also available in Korean and Arabic. This means that www.fcbarcelona.com can be accessed in seven languages, making it one of the leaders in European football.

The Club website is continuing to broaden its international appeal in a move that will increase its popularity, publicise the brand and bring the content closer to the Asian and Middle Eastern audience. Until now, the site has been available in Catalan, Spanish, English, Chinese and Japanese. Marc Ingla, Club vice-president for Marketing and Media told us: “Having the website in seven languages is a remarkable feat and pioneering in the world of football. Barça’s own media are key in the Club’s global projection. Connecting with our fans in their own language allows us to transmit spectacle and Barça values in a genuine way and thereby communicate better that Barça is “more than a club” and therefore different from all the rest”.

FC Barcelona is the first European club to have its website in Arabic. The new website ( http://www.barcaarabia.com/ ), which will serve some 23 countries with a total population of more than 300 million, will be updated daily with news items supplied by FC Barcelona and will also have video content in Arabic. It will maintain the institutional content available on www.fcbarcelona.cat. According to Marc Ingla: “Once again we have led the way ahead of the majority of European clubs in being the first to set up an Arabic website. Seeing the Barça content in Arabic is, frankly, impressive”.

The launch is the result of an agreement with LinkDotNet, which was officially unveiled during the visit of the senior squad to Cairo for a friendly on 24th April. LinkDotNet is the most important supplier of Internet solutions (Internet access, hosting, e-solutions, online advertising and content) in the region, as well as owning a number of websites and maintaining strategic alliances with other partners.


The Korean language website ( http://www.barca.co.kr/ ) will be managed by Media Corp for the next two years. Media Corp is Korea’s leading player in the area of new technologies with interests in entertainment (film production, talent management etc.), publishing (books, sports and cinema weeklies and music and entertainment monthlies) and digital content (including mobiles and internet). The company, founded in 1998, holds the rights to the Korean version of the UEFA, Liverpool and Arsenal websites.