Former FC Barcelona president Rosell defended his work during his tenure in a lecture titled "Compliance and Responsibility in Sports". The event was organized by the Catalan Sports Confederation in Masia Senijosa, in the upper town of Barcelona, where "Ethical Sports Organization" certificates were also issued to a number of Catalan clubs.
■About his work during his tenure at Barcelona
Roselle said: "Whether others recognize it or not, the four years I served as chairman were the most glorious period in the history of the club."
■About his turnaround of the club's profit and loss
Rossel said: "When I took office, the club had a debt of 500 million euros and an annual income of 500 million euros. , while still owing players 100 million euros. I personally visited the King of Qatar, and with his help, we reached a sponsorship agreement with the Qatar Foundation. At that time, it was the best cooperation in history. We rebuilt the club's financial system and finally achieved a net profit of 250 million euros, without selling any players, but increasing assets. "
■About. He was imprisoned for an unjust case.
Russell said: "Although I was innocent, which was later proven, my ability to persevere during that time was all thanks to my cellmate Joan Betholi." And fierce criticism from people inside and outside the club. But it is that sponsorship that balances Barcelona's accounts. Compared with some of the club's operations now, it is nothing. "
"The Qatar World Cup is the best in history. This is not what I said, but it is an objective fact. Now when the team plays in the United States, they all say they hope to return to Qatar." Russell believes that the outside world has misunderstandings about Qatar: "There are indeed many families from India working there, with a monthly salary of only 400 euros, but no one forces them to go, it is voluntary. The problem lies in the source. The criticism against Qatar is actually a geopolitical dispute The political offensive comes from its neighbors and the United States, which failed in its bid for the World Cup."
■ Russell talked about his connection with Qatar.
Russell said: "As early as 2006, I met some people in Qatar and worked with my company. Working together at Aspire, the best sports center in the world. I brought the La Masia model there, and it was because of those connections that we later brought the Qatar Foundation to Barcelona. Since then, Qatar has won the Asian Cup twice. "
Finally, Russell emphasized: "I have never surrendered to the powers that tried to influence me, which is one of the reasons why I ended up in prison. But I still believe that sport is no more corrupt than politics, the judiciary, prosecutorial agencies or the police, it just has more media exposure. "