Xavier Budó, Sports Director of FC Barcelona, is the head of the club's sections, including women's football. In an interview with Mundo Deportivo he takes stock of the successful project, the financial situation or the pending renovations, such as that of Alexia Putellas, with whom they have been speaking for two months.
The two-time Ballon d'Or player ends her contract next year and Budó assures that it is a priority for the club that she continue to wear the Blaugrana: “She is a benchmark as a footballer and as the leader of a sports project. His ancestry goes far beyond being a footballer. For this reason, and it has been discussed with the president and the board, executives are clear that with any reference we have to do whatever it takes to keep them going."
“We have been negotiating with her agent for two months and Alexia has told us that she wants to continue and the club wants to do whatever it takes to keep her going. And Alexia is Alexia,” says the manager, who affirms that “the proposal we have made to Alexia is very good, the best we can make.”
In addition to Alexia, other key pieces of the locker room such as Mapi León, Patri Guijarro and Mariona Caldentey have ended up contracted. Soccer players nominated for all the awards and some recently named world champions, so their contracts have been revalued. “The club will do justice and balance between the offers we will make to Mapi, the best center in the world, Patri and others. The great luck is that among them they all want the other references to follow,” he explains. “Alexia is the first one who wants the others to follow and vice versa. "We are going to be fair and ensure that everyone has the best proposal."
The coach, Jonatan Giráldez, also ends his contract: “We have already told him that we want him to renew,” he says. Furthermore, they continue trying to convince Markel Zubizarreta to stay at the club: “he is the best female sports director in the world but at Barça the pressure and demands are very high. “He has a personal and professional wear and tear over so many years,” he acknowledges and adds: “Our intention is to make him fall in love and seduce him to continue in the club because he is a reference in his work.”
In the interview, Xavier Budó also refers to economic issues, ensuring that the section will make profits this year and that it is expected to have a turnover of 17.5 million euros. Last year, he said, the figure was 14 million, while in 2021 the women's event generated 4 million euros. “The sporting model and now also the economic one that we have in the women's Barça is a global benchmark,” he maintains.
Finally, he confirmed that the club is in talks with Barcelona City Council to try to ensure that the women's team can also play in Montjuïc. “We are very clear that we want to go to Montjuïc. Members of the board are negotiating with the City Council and we hope to reach an agreement,” she explains, detailing that “the approach is similar to that of Spotify Camp Nou. An important number in Montjuïc and some in the League as well. The City Council has conveyed its interest to us,” she confesses. A novelty that does not rule out the possibility of playing matches in other Catalan towns: "We are open to taking the project throughout the territory, outside of Barcelona."
