Josep Maria Bartomeu’s predecessor and Joan Laporta’s successor as Barcelona President, Sandro Rosell, has announced that he will be embarking on a political career.
Holding office between 2010 and 2014, Rosell resigned following legal issues to do with the transfer of Neymar Junior from Santos. He was accused of money laundering and subsequently spent 643 days in preventative prison awaiting trial between 2017 and 2019. Eventually he was acquitted of all charges.
Sport reported on an interview by Rosell given to El Periodico, he has revealed that he is considering running for Mayor of Barcelona in the upcoming the elections in 2023. He remarked that the decision would be made before Christmas of this year.
He also revealed that any candidacy would not be for a current political party but for an independent group of “managers.” According to Rosell, it is better to have managers in charge of the council than career politicians.
It remains to be seen what kind of reception his candidacy would receive, which is no doubt part of the purpose of the interview. Rosell divides opinion at the football club and no doubt would do so in the political arena too.
