Barcelona’s image of purity is shattered by Rosell resignation

Jan 23, 2014 10:00:00 PM

The Blaugrana president has quit his position following an investigation into Neymar's transfer and it could take the club years to repair the damage

COMMENT
By Carlo Garganese

The nightmare may have only just begun for Barcelona as the Spanish champions attempt to repair their shattered image following the resignation of president Sandro Rosell.
While Rosell is certainly not the first president to quit – only last month Sevilla’s Jose Maria del Nido was imprisoned for embezzlement and breaching the course of justice – never before has such a powerful football figure done so over a scandal related to a transfer of this scale.
Rosell and the club are currently being investigated by the Spanish High Court for an alleged misappropriation of funds following Neymar’s blockbuster summer transfer from Santos.

ROSELL'S REIGN - A TIMELINE
ELECTED BARCA PRESIDENT
JUL 2010	Rosell is elected as the new president of Barcelona, succeeding Joan Laporta in the hotseat
CRUYFF STRIPPED
JUL 2010	One of Rosell's first decisions is to strip Barca legend Johan Cruyff of his honorary presidency
QATAR FOUNDATION
AUG 2011	Rosell angers many when Barca strike a corporate shirt sponsorship deal with Qatar Foundation
NEYMAR CONTRACT
NOV 2011	Barca, Neymar and his family company N&N sign pre-contract ahead of potential 2014 transfer
NEYMAR SIGNS FOR BARCA
MAY 2013	Barcelona sign Santos star Neymar for "€57.1m", but the complexities of the deal soon raises questions
ABIDAL LEAVES BARCA
JUN 2013	Eric Abidal departs Barca after Rosell decides not to offer the popular veteran a new contract
THIAGO JOINS BAYERN
JUL 2013	Rosell fails to retain one of Europe's best youngsters, Thiago Alcantara, who joins Guardiola at Bayern
ROSELL ACCUSED BY CASES
DEC 2013	Barca socio Jordi Cases demands an clearer financial explanation of the Neymar transfer
ROSELL RESIGNS
JAN 2014	Rosell, under investigation by the Spanish High Court, resigns as president of Barcelona

Rosell insisted at his farewell press address that the allegations are "unfair" and "everything that happened in the transfer of Neymar was correct".
Barca bought the Brazil international for a fee of €57.1 million, but only €17.1m of that found its way to Santos and the mystery surrounding the "missing" €40m has left blood on the Camp Nou carpet.
Barcelona’s motto is Més que un club (more than a club), and the organisation prides itself on its purity. A symbol of Catalan culture, Barcelona has, since the dictatorships of Primo de Rivera and General Franco, battled against elitist values and painted a picture that it champions democracy, transparency and charity.
Prior to 2011, the Blaugrana earned widespread acclaim for their resistance to corporate sponsorship. The club's work for charitable causes, which led to a five-year agreement with UNICEF and the Barcelona Foundation donating €1.5m a year to the United Nations Children’s Fund, was also hailed by humanitarians.
Recent coaches such as Tata Martino, Tito Vilanova and Pep Guardiola have recognised the importance of, publicly at least, conducting themselves with decorum and dignity. The thought of appointing a coach like Jose Mourinho, who values substance over style, would be unthinkable.
The fall-out from the Rosell-Neymar affair could have a catastrophic effect on this squeaky-clean image that Barcelona have created.
Italian behemoths Juventus paid a heavy price for becoming embroiled in the Calciopoli crisis in 2006. Almost overnight the Bianconeri’s stock plummeted and all over Europe the Old Lady – unfairly following findings in the aftermath of the scandal - developed a corrupt reputation.

From a commercial and sporting basis it took Juventus more than half-a-decade to begin their recovery. Sponsorship deals were harder to come by, elite stars were no longer attracted to Juve as they had been prior to 2006, and the Serie A championship as a marketable product was crushed.
Barcelona’s situation is by no means as serious as Juventus’ was. They will not be relegated to the Segunda Division, they will not be forced to sell half of their team and they will not instantly lose hundreds of millions of euros, but Barca’s proud reputation will take just as long to restore.

Many would argue that Rosell's departure is actually good for the Catalans. Since being elected in 2010, his tenure has been fraught with tension. Rosell was involved in a very public dispute with his predecessor Joan Laporta, while he ostracised and stripped club icon Johan Cruyff of his honourary presidency.

The 49-year-old's relationship with Guardiola soured prior to the coach's exit in 2012, while he also was criticised for not offering Eric Abidal a new deal last season after the Frenchman had returned from a serious illness. Many of his decisions were hugely unpopular both inside and outside the club, including the move to finally embrace corporate shirt sponsorship with Qatar Airways, the failure to retain Thiago Alcantara and the closing down of some of the club's other sporting sections.

But the way in which Rosell's exit has materialised taints all the potential benefits that his exit will bring. The outcome of the investigation remains uncertain and the club insist they have done nothing wrong.
But the Spanish champions are in danger of becoming as infamous for their association with the Neymar transfer as they are famous for any fabulous football they exhibit on the pitch. An image of purity has been shattered. For the sake of all those who hold the club dear, let's just hope the damage is not irrevocable. ---------------- goal.com