Vice President Of Barcelona Resigns, After Different Opinions About Sponsors

Vice President of Barcelona Juli Guiu has officially resigned from his post (Instagram/@TENationofblaugrana).

JAKARTA - Vice President of Barcelona, July Guiu, has resigned due to disagreements regarding the club's new deal with Nike.

Barcelona confirmed Guiu's resignation in a brief statement on Thursday, January 9, 2025, local time.

"Barcelona informed that Guiu has submitted his resignation which cannot be canceled as vice president for personal reasons."

"We would like to thank him for his services and dedication to the institution since joining the Board of Directors in 2021."

"During that period, he has been a key player in the agreement with the club's main partners in recent years," Barcelona's official statement read.

Guiu's decision was taken under Barcelona's new multi-year agreement with Nike, which is worth more than 100 million euros per year.

Guiu disagreed with some provisions of the deal, which ultimately ruled out in negotiations. He also protested the amount of commission paid to agent Darren Dein, who acted as intermediary between Barcelona and Nike.

Barcelona announced a deal with Nike's long-term partner in November 2024. Blaugrana president Joan Laporta claims the deal is the largest of its kind in the world of football.

The agreement was ratified by members at an emergency meeting held in December 2024 and has helped improve the club's financial situation.

Guiu is one of four vice presidents and is responsible for marketing.

During his time at the club, he played an important role in bringing in several new sponsors, including Spotify, who is Barcelona's main sponsor and has purchased naming rights for Camp Nou.

His resignation comes as problems off the pitch continue to make headlines at Barcelona, with Spain's Highest Sports Court or Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD) this week allowing temporary player registration for Dani Olmo and Pau Victor.

The CSD decision contradicts a decision made by La Liga and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), which says Barcelona have missed a deadline to prove that they comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations and cannot register the same players for the second time in the same season.

The decision was met with doubts by La Liga, with Atletico Madrid and Las Palmas condemning the ruling. Later, opposition emerged from Athletic Bilbao, who lost Barcelona in the semifinals of the Spanish Super Cup (Supercopa de Espana).

However, the story has nothing to do with Guiu's departure.