FC Barcelona's strange Coziness with Qatar Royal family

The Qatar Foundation Shirt sponsorship deal has been the most discussed news in past 48 hours in Barca fans circle. Eventhough there is a match against Real Sociedad tonight, but Barca fans looks like least bothered about it. Pep Guardiola yesterday during his pre match press cobference has defended the Qatar Foundation deal, actually Qatar Government as a whole. He said "Injustices exist all over the world, not only in Qatar. It is a Muslim country but is much more open than people think and it is a very safe country. It has a government that has given a lot of assistance everywhere and its people are well educated. When I was there, I was well received and I had a great experience. I can do everything that I would not have been able to do had it been a country that does not respect human rights.The people have all the freedom they can have in this world.Yes, the women there can choose to get a profession, and if the majority of them stay at home it’s because they choose to, due to their religion. As for the segregation between the sexes, that too is because they respect the teaching of their religion." Thanks for TotalBarca.com for translating this interview.

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Qatar Foundation to be on Barca Shirt

Qatar Royal Family has become the official sponsors for Barca

I wouldn't say that this is the worst news since election of Sandro Rosell, there were a procession of them. But this one was the least expected. According to Javier Faux, Barca vice-president FC Barcelona has reched an agreement in principle to sport Qatar foundation's Logo on the much holy FC Barcelona jersey. The deal is worth 30 million per year and will run for five years. That mostly explained the recent cosiness with Qatar royal family and Qatare Kingdome by representees of the club. Javie Faus also didn't let go off a chance to take an invisible swipe at the previous regime. He said that if the debt wasn't this enormous, this deal wouldn't have been necessary. Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development is a private, chartered, non-profit organization in the state of Qatar. They may be a non-profit organisation but the initial picture given as some organisation which helps the needy is pretty wrong. It is an organisation which is basically like a University. It looks like they also act as the PR agency of the Qatar Royal family. Otherwise someone care to explain why a non-profit organisation will spend 150 million in such a deal. Many Barca fans around the world are pretty upset with this decision, but what's the fuss. The Catalan members who make the decision has already supported this idea.

Possible UEFA Champions League Opponents

We will be knowing our Champions League second round opponent on the 17th of December. With the comppletion of the group stages we have the potential list of opponents. Courtesy of finishing on the top, FC Barcelona will be playing the second leg of the tie at home and will only have to deal with a team which finished second in their respective groups. But the list of teams which finished second is quite scarry. By UEFA rules, we don't have to face teams which were in our group also from the same assoication. That removes FC Copenhagen and Valencia from the list. That draws the potential opponets to defending champion Inter Milan, French side Lyon, Italian side Roma, French side Marseille, current Seria A leader AC Milan and current English premier League leaders Arsenal. Now that's a potentially explosive opponent list.

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