The new president of Basket Club Manresa SAE, Josep Maria Hermes, presented on Friday an ambitious project, which, at the same time, should serve to encourage not only the club. Above all, it should stimulate the city and its entire area of influence, which, when it comes to basketball, can go far beyond Bagues and Central Catalonia.
Hermès puts its mandate into two main projects that are closely linked. On the one hand, the capital increase approved by the Board of Directors on Friday and which will have to be ratified by an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders which will likely be called at the end of January, and the New George increase, for which construction should begin, if fulfilled. With planned deadlines, within 2025.
The capital increase is ambitious. It is planned to raise 2.58 million euros, which means doubling the current capital of Básquet Manresa SAE. And that it would not be easy to obtain, it was clear when outgoing President Albert Coates stated that if they reached 2 million they would also offer it as bonds. The goal is twofold: to eliminate the historical debt incurred by the entity and, at the same time, provide itself with sufficient financial strength to confront the actions of the new Strait and maintain its competitive potential. It seems clear that without the increased capital, Hermes would not have accepted the presidency.
Hermes had already joined the board, essentially, to take on the New Gorge expansion project because, professionally, it is committed to “creating business-generating spaces and turning them into important entertainment venues. For me, this is groundbreaking,” he said in the presentation: “Standard “I firmly believe in the project.”
It is undoubtedly a strategic project for Basket Manresa and it should be for the city as well. The City Council seems clear, as evidenced by the words of Mayor Mark Alloway. To what extent the city believes in this as well, will be shown in the percentage that has been able to cover the announced capital increase.
It is clear that the Hermes presidency will play into this framework, although his sporting ambitions are not modest. Talk about playing in Europe. However, his presidency will be evaluated on the basis of his ability and success in leading the process of raising new capital and cooperating in the search for the approximately €10 million needed for the renovation of the New Gorge, which will have to be paid in equal parts by the Government. City Council, County Council, State and Country.
One last detail. Hermes wanted to show that Baxi Manresa is the best team in the ACB. The factors with which the equation is built are valid. They seem to be more decisive than the result they provide. However, Hermes as a variable contributed to the fact that it is not a “regional capital”. It's possible that part of the problem lies in this substrate. Because apart from the fact that the province is an outdated reference in provincial and provincial times, and cannot be improved or halved, it seems that Manresa should focus on Central Catalonia and its area of influence as a frame of reference.
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