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Carreras: "The love for Barзa is something in the genes" Toni Frieros, Diario Sport, 20 October 2002 Josep Carreras is a man of exceptional cultural standards and highest social activity Phrases: "My father, municipal policeman, took me to the Gol Sur (South Goal) of Camp Nou." "Formerly yelling 'Barзa' was the same as yelling 'Visca Catalunya'" "When I was a child my idols were tenor Mario del Mуnaco, Kubala and Evaristo" Interview Carreras: "The love for Barзa is something in the genes" Josep Carreras: Opera singer and member of the Barcelona FC. He was born in Barcelona on December 5, 1946. He triumphed in the entire world with his voice, singing in most famous operas. He was the musical director of the inauguration and closing of the Olympic games in Barcelona 1992. His 'Amigos para siempre' still resound in our ears. He received all possible awards and decorations. And he is one of ours, from our home. He is a universal Catalan, a legendary tenor, but first of all an exceptional human being who dedicated all his life, through his Foundation, to helping people ill with the same disease he had conquered: the leukemia. Furthermore, Josep Carreras is a well-known culй (fan). The music, opera is your profession. What is you passion? Reading, painting and naturally football, since the time I was little. And Barзa. Where does your active 'barcelonismo' come from? When they inaugurated the Camp Nou, my father started taking me to the football. You did not see Les Corts? My father did not allow me to go, because it was dangerous for a small child. You know, if there had been an influx, and if the wall fellЕ (1) Your progenitor inspired you with this loveЕ He served in the municipal police of Barcelona, and every Sunday he went to see Barзa. Even when he was not on duty he would put on his police uniform, and we went together to Camp Nou. We stood at the Gol Sur. Did you play football? Yes, but very bad. My right foot was worst, and the left even worse. I played with a group of friends on the field of La Palmera, in Sants. But what I did well, if you will excuse my immodesty, was basketball. At the college where I studied, in Montserrat de Sants, we formed a great team called BIM. Sport had always been part of my childhood. Do you agree that Barзa is "mйs que un club" (more than a club)? At least it used to be. Think about the time - I am talking about the fiftieth - when the only opportunity for us Catalans to preserve our country, our culture, traditions and language was to support Barзa, because when you yelled 'Visca el Barзa!', you also yelled 'Visca Catalunya!' inwardly. It was a bulwark of Catalan roots. The first culй you remember? Kubala. When I was a child I had three idols: Mario del Monaco, a legendary tenor, Kubala (2) and Evaristo. When I saw Evaristo it was like love at first sight. He enchanted me. I followed all games of Barзa, including the Les Corts epoch, when I could not attend. Every weekend I listened to commentaries and read periodicals. You are member of Barзa? Yes, I have a membership card forty thousand something, I don't know exactly. I have been a member for about thirty years. Do you think the love for colors, for the symbol you defend, decreases? It is one of the dangers this day. The administration of this important entity of Barcelona has to take into account one thing: we may not lose this entity, because it makes us great and strong. Do you think present-day football players are only workers who move for money? This depends on the morale of each particular player. It is difficult to generalize, and I understand that it is impossible that each one who plays for Barзa feels this passion. The love for Barзa is something in the genes. Have you known Nъсez (3) well? We had a cordial relationship. He gave me an order of gold and diamonds of Barзa in the eightieth, and he helped me very much in my hour of need. He visited me at the clinic, he and many players of Barзa. We had a magnificent relationship, which continues until now. How do you evaluate his guidance? It is excellent? What about Gaspard (4)? We thought he was the continuation of Nъсez, but in reality he was not; he has his own standards and ways of doing things. Have you voted at the FC Barcelona presidential election? Yes. Will you tell for whom? No. Do you think Lluнs Bassat, voting member of your Foundation's board of trustees, would be a good president? I know him very well. I worked with him on the occasion of the Olympic games in Barcelona 1992. He is a worthy man in many respects: culture, efficiency, and talent. I think he would be a good president. Do you feel the invasion of "madridism" in Spain? After all that is happening we barcelonists must show off a flag of 300 square meters. From the other hand I think it is logical, although I do not approve it, that Madrid and the ruling political powers help each other. I would say that Spain has always been 'madridistic', except at extraordinary times of the Dream Team. Do you understand the resignation of Rivaldo? Like every fan I love artistic players, and I feel regret that he left. But as a member of Barзa I think that worse is that he left without any indemnity. Do you like Van Gaal? I respect him, but I like football seasoned with improvisation. I am of Romario, Laudrup, Stoickov, RonaldoЕ Excessive automatism and 'robotisation' of players are contrary to my idea of football. In this sense I do not like Van Gaal as a coach. Three years without winning titlesЕ Unfortunately. This makes me sad. We supporters of Barcelona need that our club, aside from all it represents, also has triumphs, for this way it will gain prestige. Will this chain break this year? I would like to think so. Barзa has an obligation to win a title for the years without it. Our prestige demands this. Herald this to the entire world! 20/10/2002 (Toni Frieros) (1) Les Corts was the base of FC Bacelona until 1957, when Camp Nou was inaugurated on September 24. Les Corts could seat 30 000 people before reconstruction, and 60 000 people after. Barзa had been a very successful team, and the number of fans grew constantly. There was a danger that the wall of the overcrowded stadium would fall, because it could not accommodate all comers. (2) Ladislav Kubala, legendary Hungarian forward, played for Barзa from 1950 till 1961; he participated in 19 championships as a part of the Spanish combined team. (3) Josep Lluis Nъсez had been the president of the FC Barcelona for 22 years from 1978 till 2000. (4) Joan Gaspard i Solves is the president of Barзa since 7/2000. English translation and commentaries by Maria Kozlova ~~~~~~~~~~~ Spanish original: http://www.sport.es/Barsa/article.asp?id=51540 Carreras: "Amar al Barзa es algo que se lleva en los genes" Toni Frieros, Diario Sport, 20 October 2002 Josep Carreras es un hombre de excepcional nivel cultural y de altнsimo compromiso social LAS FRASES "Mi padre, Guardia Urbano, me llevaba al Gol Sur del Camp Nou" "Antes, cuando gritabas СBarзaТ era como gritar СVisca CatalunyaТ" "De niсo mis нdolos fueron el tenor Mario del Mуnaco, Kubala y Evaristo" La entrevista Carreras: "Amar al Barзa es algo que se lleva en los genes" Josep Carreras: Cantante de уpera y socio del FC Barcelona. Naciу en Barcelona el 5 de diciembre de 1946. Ha triunfado en el mundo entero con su voz, interpretando las уperas mбs famosas. Fue director musical de la Inauguraciуn y Clausura de los JJ.OO. de Barcelona'92. Su 'Amigos para siempre' aъn suena en nuestros oнdos. Ha recibido todas las condecoraciones posibles. Y es uno de los nuestros. De casa... Es un catalбn universal. Un tenor mнtico. Por encima de todo, un ser humano excepcional que ha consagrado su vida, a travйs de su Fundaciуn, a ayudar a quienes padecen la enfermedad que йl logrу superar: la leucemia. Ademбs de todo ello, Josep Carreras es un culй reconocido. La mъsica, la уpera, es su profesiуn, pero, њcuбl es su pasiуn? La lectura, la pintura... y el fъtbol, claro, desde siempre, desde que era pequeсo. Y el Barзa. њDe dуnde le viene su conocido y activo barcelonismo? Desde que se inaugurу el Camp Nou, que fue cuando mi padre empezу a llevarme al fъtbol. њNo conociу Les Corts? Mi padre no me dejaba ir porque era peligroso para un niсo pequeсo. Ya sabe, por si habнa una avalancha, se caнa un muro... Su progenitor le inculcу ese gusanillo... El era agente de la Guardia Urbana de Barcelona e iba cada domingo a ver al Barзa. Aunque no estuviera de servicio se ponнa su traje de Guardia y nos нbamos juntos al Camp Nou. Estбbamos de pie en el Gol Sur. њUsted llegу a jugar a fъtbol? Sн, pero muy mal. Tenнa una derecha pйsima y una izquierda aъn peor. Jugaba con un grupo de amigos en el campo de La Palmera, en Sants. En lo que sн fui bueno, y perdуn por la inmodestia, fue a baloncesto. En el colegio donde yo estudiaba, el Montserrat de Sants, logramos formar un gran equipo, llamado BIM. El deporte siempre estuvo presente en mi infancia. њEstб de acuerdo en que el Barзa es 'mиs que un club'? Al menos lo era. Tenga en cuenta que en aquellos aсos, y le hablo de los cincuenta, una de las pocas posibilidades que tenнamos los catalanes de conservar nuestra entidad como paнs, nuestra cultura y nuestras tradiciones e idioma era aferrarse al Barзa, porque cuando gritabas 'Visca el Barзa!', en el fondo tambiйn gritabas 'Visca Catalunya!'. Era el baluarte de las raнces catalanistas. њSu primer recuerdo culй? Kubala. Yo, de niсo, tenнa tres нdolos. Uno, Mario del Mуnaco, un tenor legendario, Kubala y Evaristo. Cuando vi jugar a Evaristo fue como un amor a primera vista. Me encandilу. Yo seguнa todas las semanas al Barзa, incluso en la йpoca de Les Corts, que no lleguй a pisar. Escuchaba la radio cada fin de semana y leнa los periуdicos de la йpoca. њEs socio del Barзa? Sн, tengo un carnet cuarenta mil y algo, no lo recuerdo exactamente. Hace unos treinta aсos que lo soy. њEs de los que opina que se estб perdiendo el amor a los colores, al escudo que defiendes? Es uno de los peligros que se corre hoy en dнa. Los responsables de la gestiуn de una entidad de la importancia del Barcelona es algo que deberнan tener en cuenta: no perder esa identidad, porque es lo que nos hace ser grandes y fuertes. њCree que el futbolista es hoy, sуlo, un trabajador que se mueve por dinero? Eso depende del rigor moral de cada uno de ellos. Es difнcil generalizar y entiendo que es difнcil que todo el que llega a jugar en el Barзa sienta esa pasiуn. Amar al Barзa creo que va en los genes. њConociу bien a Nъсez? Tuve una relaciуn muy cordial con йl. Me impuso la insignia de oro y brillantes del Barзa en los 80 y en momentos muy duros y difнciles de mi vida tuve su apoyo. Me visitу en el Clнnic, йl y muchos jugadores del Barзa. Mi relaciуn con йl fue magnнfica y sigue siendo asн. њCуmo calificarнa su gestiуn? De excelente. њY la de Gaspart? Pensбbamos que serнa la continuaciуn de Nъсez, pero la realidad nos demuestra que no es asн, que tiene su propio critero y forma de hacer las cosas. њVotу en las ъltimas elecciones a la presidencia del FC Barcelona? Sн. њDirнa a quiйn? No... њCree que Lluнs Bassat, que es vocal del patronato de su Fundaciуn, serнa un buen presidente? Le conozco muy bien. Trabajй con йl estrechamente con ocasiуn de los JJ.OO. de Barcelona'92. Es una persona muy vбlida y de muchos recursos, de cultura, de saber hacer, de talento. Creo que sн, que serнa un buen presidente. њPercibe que hay una invasiуn de 'madridismo' en Espaсa? Despuйs de lo que estб pasando, los barcelonistas deberнamos pasear una bandera de trescientos metros cuadrados por la Diagonal. Por otra parte me parece lуgico, aunque no lo apruebe, que el Madrid y las fuerzas polнticas que ahoran mandan se ayuden. Dйjeme que le diga que Espaсa siempre ha sido madridista, salvo en los aсos extraordinarios del Dream Team. њEntiende la baja de Rivaldo? Como aficionado que me gustan los jugadores artнsticos, que generan ilusiуn, me sabe mal que se fuera. Y como socio del Barзa todavнa me sabe peor que se haya ido sin ningъn tipo de compensaciуn econуmica. њLe gusta Van Gaal? Tengo un gran respeto por йl, pero me gusta el fъtbol sazonado de improvisaciуn. Yo soy de Romario, Laudrup, Stoichkov, Ronaldo... Todo lo que sea excesivo automatismo, 'robotizar' a los jugadores en base a un sistema va en contra de mi idea de fъtbol. En este sentido no me gusta Van Gaal como entrenador. Tres aсos sin ganar tнtulos... Es una pena. Y me entristece. Los barcelonistas necesitamos que nuestro club, por todo lo que representa, tenga йxitos, porque es asн como se gana prestigio. њSe romperб la sequнa este aсo? Quiero pensar que sн. El Barзa tiene la obligaciуn, especialmente por eso, por el tiempo que lleva sin ganar nada, de sumar un tнtulo. Lo demanda nuestro prestigio. °Cбntelo a los cuatro vientos!. 20/10/2002 (Toni Frieros) |