Lionel Messi, left, alongside Ramon Alfonseda, who has been of the ABJ chairman for 14 years. Courtesy Andy Mitten
Lionel Messi, left, alongside Ramon Alfonseda, who has been of the ABJ chairman for 14 years. Courtesy Andy Mitten
Lionel Messi, left, alongside Ramon Alfonseda, who has been of the ABJ chairman for 14 years. Courtesy Andy Mitten
Lionel Messi, left, alongside Ramon Alfonseda, who has been of the ABJ chairman for 14 years. Courtesy Andy Mitten

Barcelona's 'more than a club' motto rings true thanks to work of ABJ in supporting former players


Andy Mitten
  • English
  • Arabic

Pep Guardiola did more than make his mark as Barcelona’s greatest ever coach with the trophies his side won  between 2008-12.

Along with then club president Sandro Rossell, they persuaded Barcelona’s first team players to donate 0.5 per cent of their wages into a fund to help former players, with another 0.5 per cent to Barca’s charitable foundation which supports projects such as help for refugees.

Guardiola did this a decade ago, the year when Barca won all six trophies they contested. His players agreed and their donations help another, very pertinent, organisation which will celebrate its 60th anniversary this year.

To this day Association of Former Barcelona Players (ABJ) survives because of the generosity (€1.5 million in 2017) of the players.

The association has an office near Camp Nou which is paid for by the club and boasts 1,272 members, most of whom played at various levels for Barca. The numbers have increased from 844 total members a decade ago and include Guardiola and almost every member of Johan Cruyff’s "Dream Team" which won the club’s first European Cup in 1992.

More recent members include Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, with the Brazilians Jose Edmilson and Juliano Belletti, both 42, among the most active. They also play for Barca Legends, a separate group of high-profile former players who take on the veterans of rival giants including Bayern Munich and Manchester United.

The rest of the members are friends of the association who want to support it financially or attend social events – and there are many.

"The social aspect is the most important for me," Pepito Ramos, a 67-year-old who was Barca's right-back for seven years between 1976-1983, told The National. "I get to see my former teammates.

"But for others it’s the sporting aspect because they still play football every week. The players can be in tournaments around Catalonia and they enjoy going out to towns and meeting fans who can remember them from many years ago.”

Andres Iniesta, right, is an active member of the ABJ. Getty Images
Andres Iniesta, right, is an active member of the ABJ. Getty Images

Those players also do what they once did best and play football twice a week on pitches by the club’s mini stadium given to them by the club for free. They’re split into three age groups, with the oldest featuring goalkeeper Albert Maiquez, a spritely 78. For many it’s the only way they keep in contact.

“There are some really good players still,” Ramos said, “though they run a little less than they used to.” There are also 90 female former players who are members and they play games using the same facilities.

Importantly, the association exists to help former players, who might require financial assistance to pay for a private operation or to help with mortgage payments. But not every former player, especially those from the 1980s onwards, needs money.

Instead, they can receive other types of support – from access to educational classes or a dedicated job seeker who comes in the office three times a week and tries to match their CVS.

"There are English classes and English classes with an emphasis on football for those who want to go on being involved in football in some capacity,” Ramos explained. “And the Association has really come to the help of those who have suffered bad luck, who have no work, who have fallen on economic hardship or have bad health.”

During his time as Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, along with then president Sandro Rossell, persuaded the first-team players to donate one per cent of their wages to the ABJ and other charitable causes. Getty Images
During his time as Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, along with then president Sandro Rossell, persuaded the first-team players to donate one per cent of their wages to the ABJ and other charitable causes. Getty Images

For example, a former player might arrive after spending all his adult life in football but now finds himself with no money or academic qualifications. His career may have started at Barca before appearing for teams mostly in the third division.

The group will pay for classes to get him into a position where they can get a job and use his skills – which is often football-related and may involve coaching. Emotional support is also provided.

Lionel Messi is unlikely to ever need €9,000 for a private hip replacement, but players before the 1980s received relatively modest wages. Among those who have received help is Antoni Ramallets, a legendary Barca goalkeeper between 1946-1962 and who died, aged 89, in 2013.

Among the key early members were Laszlo Kubala, a former teammate of Ramallets and the greatest player in Barcelona’s history until Messi came along. There is a Camp Nou statue of Kubala, a Hungarian forward who played for Barca between 1951-61 and was voted the club’s greatest ever player in a 1999 poll of fans.

Laszlo Kubala was one of Barcelona's greatest ever players an a key early member of the ABJ. AFP
Laszlo Kubala was one of Barcelona's greatest ever players an a key early member of the ABJ. AFP

The group’s current president is former player Ramon Alfonseda, 71, who has been in the role for 14 years. His contemporaries get into the community, they have strong links with the 1,000 plus official Barca supporters’ clubs and they also go to local hospitals to watch Barça games on television with patients.

That works for the players who feel they are giving something to the community and the patients who enjoy watching with a former player.

The group was also able to send two younger former players to Old Trafford last year for a week to study how Manchester United work and learn their values, to practice their English and to meet Jose Mourinho.

There is an annual dinner at Camp Nou too, one which the senior members and players support and attend. Barca’s motto is ‘More than a club’. When you see the work that extends to helping and supporting former players, that claim doesn’t seem hollow.

How to help

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200

MATCH INFO

Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD

* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

Kamindu Mendis bio

Full name: Pasqual Handi Kamindu Dilanka Mendis

Born: September 30, 1998

Age: 20 years and 26 days

Nationality: Sri Lankan

Major teams Sri Lanka's Under 19 team

Batting style: Left-hander

Bowling style: Right-arm off-spin and slow left-arm orthodox (that's right!)

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES

SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

Dates for the diary

To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:

  • September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
  • October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
  • October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
  • November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
  • December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
  • February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Types of fraud

Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.

Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.

Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.

SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.

Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.

Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.

* Nada El Sawy

The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now