FCBARCELONA.CAT

19.03.2009 13:18

Plans to create statue of Kubala

www.fcbarcelona.cat

On Thursday, FC Barcelona and the Barça Veterans Association unveiled a project to commission a statue in memory of Ladislao Kubala (1927-2002).

On Thursday, FC Barcelona and the Barça Veterans Association unveiled a project to commission a statue in memory of Ladislao Kubala (1927-2002).

The aim is to keep alive the memory of a man who played for FC Barcelona for 11 seasons and was one of the founders of the Barça Veterans Association. Barça fans will be encouraged to support the project and a campaign to raise funds has already been started. The minimum contribution is 15€ and all donations will be matched by the Club.

The project was introduced at a press conference at the sports complex by sports vice-president Rafael Yuste, the president of the Veterans Association Ramon Alfonseda and the sculptress Montserrat García. Yuste, said that he was “moved” on speaking about “the legend of legends” and referred to the song of Joan Manuel Serrat that defined Kubala as a unique player. Alfonseda announced: “Barça is in debt to him. He was an outstanding footballer”.

Selection process

The commission has been awarded to Montserrat Garcia Rius, after a selection process involving 5 artists who based their proposals on the same photograph of Kubala about to shoot. The statue will be 2 metres high, made of bronze, and will stand on a 1.2 metre pedestal that will feature the names of the footballers he played with.

The statue is due to be unveiled on or around 15th June coinciding with the date in 1950 when Kubala signed his first contract with FC Barcelona. The statue will be installed somewhere in the Camp Nou, in a location yet to be decided.

The man who made Les Corts too small

The monument to Kubala is in recognition of what he represented to the Club and to Catalonia, especially internationally. It was partly thanks to him that a new stadium was built to replace the old Les Corts, as it had become too small for the large crowds. In addition, Kubala combined his leadership skills with extreme generosity to his most needy former team-mates.