Antoni Guil, president of the Confederació Mundial de Penyes, took part yesterday in the “Suma Barça Forum,” a debate event organized by the Suma Barça platform in collaboration with El Periódico. The event was held at the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site and brought together over 400 people to discuss various aspects concerning the present and future of FC Barcelona. Guil was one of the speakers at the roundtable “Members, fans and supporters: what do they need, what impact do they have, and what role should each of them play,” alongside Josep Maldonado, president of the ESI Foundation and the Penya Barcelonista Coma-ruga 95, and Carles Ordiales, president of Seguiment FCB.
Lack of transparency
In his speech, Antoni Guil emphasized the lack of transparency and information from the current board of directors towards FC Barcelona’s social and penyes’ base, which he deemed unacceptable: “Without transparency, there is no democracy,” he stated. To illustrate this, Guil pointed out that next month the General Assembly of Delegates will take place, and members still have no information regarding the financial closure, possible changes to the Club’s statutes, or the return to Camp Nou. “In the current context, it also makes no sense for this Assembly to remain exclusively online,” he added.
Furthermore, the president of the Confederació Mundial de Penyes defended the Grada d’Animació in light of the treatment received from the Club: “It was a model that worked and should not have been changed, as it was endorsed by all stakeholders. It is inexplicable that the current board eliminated it without providing any clear reason and refusing any meeting with them.” In this regard, Guil, Maldonado, and Ordiales all expressed that members and supporters’ groups miss the relationship they once had with the Club, and that they have generally lost space, influence, and voice.
The value of the penyes movement
During his speech, Antoni Guil also highlighted the value of the Confederació Mundial de Penyes project, which was unilaterally removed from the Club by the current board. Guil recalled that this movement brings together 1,250 entities and 160,000 Barça fans around the world, and that the Confederation has helped modernize and expand it internationally across all five continents. “Penyes are the main drivers of Barça fandom in their respective regions, and currently there is no Club project aimed at them,” he lamented. As Josep Maldonado added, “Penyes are a treasure for Barça.”
