Josep Lluís Núñez

Josep Lluís Núñez Clemente (born on September 7, 1931 at Barakaldo) was president of FC Barcelona between 1978 and 2000. Núñez also owns the "Núñez i Navarro" construction company (Navarro being his wife). He was elected club president on July 1 1978 despite having no previous connection with the club. His main objectives were to establish Barça as a world class sports club and to give the club financial stability.

Núñez oversaw one of the club's most successful eras and has been Barça’s most successful president in terms of winning trophies. During his presidency the club’s four professional teams amassed 176 trophies – 30 in football, 36 in basketball, 65 in handball and 45 in roller hockey. This included a remarkable quartet in 1999, the club’s centenary year, when the four teams were all crowned champions of Spain. FC Barcelona were also European football champions in 1992.

During his presidency FC Barcelona membership increased from 77,905 to 106,000, forcing to increase the capacity of the Camp Nou stadium. The number of "penyes" (fan clubs) also increased from 96 based in Spain to over 1,300 based throughout the world. Núñez gave the club a solid economical base and increased the club's wealth. The club built the Mini Estadi in 1982, opened the "FC Barcelona Museu" in 1984, expanded the Palau Blaugrana to a capacity of 8,500 and opened the La Masia, a residence for young players.

Nuñez was reelected twice without opposition, but in 1988 he had to face the players rebellion known as the Hesperia Mutiny in 1988 (named after the hotel where the players reunited), which ended with the dismissal of almost all the team (only goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta survived). Afterwards, he hired Johan Cruyff as coach, and the club saw the golden era of the Dream Team, which won the club's first UEFA Champions League in 1992. In 1989, he won the reelection against rival Sixte Cambra, and was again reelected without opposition in 1993. The next year, he started the F.C. Barcelona Foundation, to prevent the conversion of the club to a private-owned sporting society, per the new Spanish law.

Disagreements with Johan Cruyff forced the coach's dismissal, and since then Nuñez had to face the open opposition led by the former coach. In 1997, he was reelected for the last time, winning against rival Àngel Fernández. Months later, he passed a vote of no-confidence instigated by opponent platform "L'Elefant Blau", one of whose leaders, Joan Laporta, would become the club's president several years later.

He hired first Bobby Robson and then Louis van Gaal as coaches. But the lack of titles in Van Gaal's third year and his lack of understanding with the fans forced his dismisal, and that of Nuñez himself, tired of being pressured. In 2000 he resigned after 22 years as club president.

Despite his achievements, Nuñez was not always popular. His refusal to pay high wages gained him many critics and saw the departure of players like Maradona, Ronaldo, Bernd Schuster, Hristo Stoichkov and Luís Figo.

After his resignation, Nuñez has mostly retired from public life.

External links

* [http://www.fcbarcelona.cat/web/english/club/historia/presidents/jlnunez.html Núñez at FC Barcelona website]
* [http://www.nyn.es/nyn2004v1/cat/Index.asp Núñez i Navarro website]