President: ‘Mallorca will support Nunes until he retires’

RCD Mallorca’s President, Jaume Cladera admits that he is at a loss this Sunday without football, and he also speaks about the highlights regarding his Club in RCD Mallorca’s official webpage. The President has very touching words for Nunes, who will be operated in a very delicate procedure in Barcelona, and also speaks about the targets the team has for this season”.

How did you feel this Sunday, which was supposed to be the beginning of the season?
Just like a kid who is expecting Christmas to arrive and feels it’s getting delayed. After the summer break, we are all waiting for the start of the season with great expectations, and when you realize it’s not going to begin, you feel a bit disoriented.

Do you expect an immediate solution to this conflict?
It’s not easy, because the AFE is asking for something very difficult. Football must realise that we are in a very difficult economic situation which affects everyone, and the proof of this is that we can find at least 10 teams who have been, or will be, in a Creditors Arrangement procedure). In RCD Mallorca we know very well what the direction in this new era must be. In the world of football it’s difficult at the moment to increase our revenue, so now we must focus on reducing our expenses and this means reducing the amount spent on players.

Will the player’s wages be withheld for the number of days they are on strike?
I do not know, it all depends on the final agreement. That’s what the law says, but when a new agreement is signed, there is usually a clause included which guarantees that there will be no payment reduction due to those days. If we discount all the strike days off the wages in Spanish Football the quantity is quite important. We will wait and see how the negotiation continues.

But the worst thing about last week’s news was the injury of our captain, Nunes, who will be operated on tomorrow due to that serious knee injury.
It’s a great misfortune for him personally and also for the team. We all agree that in the world of football everyone is looking out for oneself and the economic interest are above al, but not all is like this in football, there are people like Nunes who after their career and the way the integrate in a club, rejects a higher offer elsewhere and stays here when we need him, he has had a behavior impossible to forget. RCD Mallorca will have these things in mind, Nunes is a great professional player and has had a loving behavior towards the club. We hope he will recover well, but he has to know that the Club will have his back until he ends his career, because he deserves it.

The support from the fans has been immediate, through the social net of the club, forums, or buying his shirt in the online shop.
Of course, because Nunes is a much loved player, the fans have seen his compromise and commitment, even though the world of football isn’t often that way; the fans appreciate that behavior and that respect towards our Club.

Let’s talk about the season tickets campaign, there are more than 10.000 members now and it looks like you will reach last year’s number, what’s your opinion?
Last year we had around 13.800, and this year’s idea is to reach the same number. It’s clear proof that the limit of 14.000 is difficult to overcome. But I will tell you one thing, we are navigating towards the English football style, a match is more than 90 minutes of football. We are going to adapt the stadium to provide a show before and after the game, we are working on this. It’s not only about going to a 2 hours game, but about spending many hours there and offering more things, not only football. That’s the way we see it for the future. We have to find these entertainments so that the people can enjoy them, either inside or outside the stadium. As I say, we are working on it right now.

In your speech to begin the season you were very energetic, focusing on the support received by the fans last season…
In Mallorca we are a bit of a contradiction, it turns out that RCD Mallorca has thousands of fans, but not all of them often prove it. Then, when the team really needs them, you have a massive reaction as we had last year. We have to give them the necessary tools so they can be active all year.

Let’s talk about next season and about the Club’s new structure with its new General Manager, Pedro Terrasa, what will his arrival mean for RCD Mallorca?
Especially a more strict and professional organisation in the Club, in all which is not related to the Sport’s Management, and he will focus on the Marketing department to increase the revenue and specially give a stronger business backup to the entire Club. He was the missing piece of the puzzle, now we have a professional business oriented structure.

What are the Club’s goals this season in the different sections?
In the economic sector we want to sign the definitive agreement with the Creditors, and then work in a normal situation in RCD Mallorca, always with an austere and serious attitude regarding the economic situation of the Club and the revenue we have. In the second place we want to keep making efforts in the social context for the fans. It’s important that the fans know that this isn’t only football, it’s not only a team and the games they play, we aren’t only united by football, there are other things, we have a social element that keeps us all together. Regarding results in the competition we are in, we always say that the goal is to remain in the first division, that’s what’s most important. We would like to talk about other targets in the future.

Laudrup said not long ago that the Club is in a better situation than one year ago, and that if they keep on that path, RCD Mallorca can be a very strengthened team in three or four years.
Yes, that’s correct. I agree with him.