Barcelona presidential hopeful teases 'Beckham-level' signing bombshell
Mystery candidate William Maddock claims he's negotiating for a former Barcelona player to return after the World Cup in a move comparable to Ronaldinho's impact.
A surprise Barcelona presidential candidate has made waves by claiming he’s lining up a transfer ‘bombshell’ comparable to the signings of Ronaldinho and David Beckham.
The mysterious Maddock
William Maddock, a Barcelona businessman and club member (#75,015), appeared on Spanish TV show ‘El Chiringuito’ with some proper bold claims about his candidacy for the Barça presidency.
Maddock believes the club’s statutes and operations are “outdated and need renovation” - suggesting his approach would be a breath of fresh air compared to the current setup at Camp Nou.
Despite pushing for change, Maddock expressed satisfaction with the current sporting leadership:
- Fully backs manager Hansi Flick, describing him as “a kind of saviour”
- Supports sporting director Deco’s work
The mystery ‘bombshell’ signing
The real eye-opener came when Maddock revealed he’s “in negotiations in England” to bring back a former Barcelona player after the World Cup. Intriguingly, he added that this player “doesn’t play in England” despite the talks happening there.
He compared his potential coup to Joan Laporta’s famous 2003 campaign promise to sign David Beckham (which ultimately fell through, leading to Ronaldinho’s arrival instead).
“Is this bombshell on the level of Beckham and Ronaldinho? Absolutely,” Maddock claimed.
Clearing up Madrid connections
Maddock also took time to address rumours about his supposed Real Madrid connections, denying claims he was president of a Madrid supporters’ club in Montornés del Vallés.
“I have not been president of the supporters’ club, nor will I be. I am a Barcelona member,” he clarified, explaining he merely used the Madrid supporters’ club premises at some point.
Whether Maddock’s candidacy has legs remains to be seen, but he’s certainly talking a good game. As they say in the East End, we’ll have to wait and see if this is all just a load of Jackson Pollock or if he’s actually got something up his sleeve.