David Escude: "It’s time to depoliticize the Games"

David Escudé, the sports councilor of the Barcelona City Council, considers it time to depoliticize the Pyrenees-Barcelona 2030 candidacy. to celebrate the Winter Olympics and let the technicians work with the goal of carrying out the project.

In this interview with EFE, Escudé also explained that he still believes in the joint candidacy between Catalonia and Aragon and for Barcelona to host the Olympic Games it will serve as an update of some of the facilities. its.

Question: Juan Antonio Samaranch said this week that the candidacy of Catalonia and Aragon is “complicated”. Are you more optimistic?

Answer: I am an optimistic person per se. I don’t think Javier Lambán wants to go down in history as the person who was hurt by the fact that the Olympic Games could be held in the Aragonese Pyrenees. By force they have to sit down and understand each other. It’s time to depoliticize the Games and let the technicians work. We politicians need to step back a bit. For the good of the whole world it will bear fruit.

Q: So do you still believe in the joint candidacy between Catalonia and Aragon?

A: Really.

Q: Does it make sense for Catalonia to do this alone?

A: Who should decide this is the president of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), Alejandro Blanco. And, to this day, he continues to think that the best candidacy is the joint and I side with the COE president in this regard.

Q: What does the Winter Olympics mean for Barcelona in terms of infrastructure improvements?

A: What Barcelona is doing is supporting the whole project, it’s the big capital, the city that spearheaded this approach and the one that raised a hand to organize this Winter Games. So it will join the rest of the administrations to make it possible. But, being selfish, Barcelona hopes to host events and, thanks to it, the facilities it needs can be brought up to date.

Q: It’s been 30 years since the ’92 Games. Is it time for another big boost for Barcelona?

A: People in the Vila Olímpica neighborhood, who at the time asked us for nurseries, are already asking us for homes for the elderly. The legacy of Game facilities has been fortunate because they are fully functional and most have adapted them to new challenges, such as pandemics. These facilities are part of this legacy that identifies us around the world.

Q: This week it was revealed that Barcelona want to host the ‘Final Four’ of the Euroleague in 2025. What are the reasons?

A: For me it was a challenge for the city in a sport that is now second on federation records and many moves at the school level of sports. We have facilities and restaurants and hotels available. I think Barcelona is one of the best cities in the world to host an event the size of this one. But we need the cooperation of other administrations to make this possible.

Q: Will the Euroleague headquarters in Barcelona help?

A: Not helpful or destructive. This is a fact that fully represents what Barcelona is and what we want: the venue for major events and the headquarters of major entities such as the Euroleague. Whoever made the decision knows very well the way this city is and the capacity of its organization when it comes to celebrating a great event.

Q: Have you talked to Barça about this option?

A: These are the things we are used to talking about. We have more than a continuous relationship with Barça. In the next few days I had to talk to other administrations and, obviously, Barça was also one of the entities I talked to.

Q: Another great sporting event that Barcelona wants to host is the 2031 Ryder Cup in a joint bid on the Costa Brava. What is the purpose of this project?

A: We are talking about different events. The EuroLeague Final Four is purely athletic. On the other hand, the Ryder Cup, in addition to being the most important event in the world of golf, has huge capacity for promotion. This is a very interesting project on all levels. I will put Barcelona, ​​Girona and the Costa Brava as the capitals of the sport as the competition lasts. But, in addition, it is an event that lasts for hours before and after. For this reason, the municipalities around Barcelona will benefit greatly.

Q: 2030 Winter Olympics, 2025 Euroleague Final Four, 2031 Ryder Cup, 2024 America’s Cup and start of the Vuelta Ciclista a España in 2023. Clearly Barcelona City Council aims to host major sporting events.

A: It’s not yes at all. I said this at the beginning of the mandate. The Barcelona Olympic Games are different because they are placed in the service of the city, not the city in the service of the Games. I haven’t worked directly on the Ryder Cup event yet, but in others, yes. And what I look at mainly is the link that the event has in the city and the interest it can arouse to promote sports training, especially among the youngest.

Q: This week, ‘Mundo Deportivo’ published that Barça has chosen not to use additional stands at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium during the academic year of 2023-2024, when it will play there during the most complex part of the Camp remodeling Nou is underway. is that so

A: I’m not going into that technical level. What I can tell you from what I know, which is the most political part, is that the stadium will be available so that Barça can come in to play when they decide to do so. A brutal job has been done on the technical level. The stadium has been adapted to the requirements of a club such as Barça and UEFA. But a lot of work has also been done on security and mobility aspects. We want the Barça matches to affect the neighbors as much as possible. We are at the end of this process.

Q: Is the cost of remodeling the Olympic Stadium paid for by Barça or the City Council?

A: It depends on cost, investment and, most importantly, whether it’s an improvement that stays at the facility or it’s an improvement in the end just for the time Barça play there.