Visit to the Shanghai Expo 2010

06.08.2010 11:58

Visit to the Shanghai Expo 2010

David Saura (special correspondent)

A delegation from FC Barcelona visited Shangai to see Expo 2010 on Friday morning and made a trip to the Barcelona pavilion.

In what was an intense day for the directors an early start was required in order to catch an internal flight to see the World Fair in the Chinese city where the Catalan capital, Spain and the Basque city Bilbao all have stands. Vice president Josep Maria Bartomeu was joined by directors Jordi Moix and Dídac Lee and sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta on the trip and was met by Isabel Blanes, who is organising the Barcelona stand at the expo.

Samaranch remembered

The party then travelled to sign a book of commemoration in honour of former Olympic president Juan Antonio Samaranch. The former head of the COI was a Barça club member and played a role in signing many of the agreements between the club and a number of Chinese companies and institutions.

Bartomeu then made a speech in which he thanked the organisers for the invitation at the Magic Box housed in the State Grid Pavilion. The directors then posed for photographs in front of a shot of Samaranch. Beside them two torches were held aloft to represent the Olympic Games of Barcelona in 1992 and of Beijing in 2008.

Spain visit

During the trip the party also visited the Spain pavilion, designed by Barcelona-based architect Benedetta Tagliabue, and then saw the Bilbao pavilion too. Making the return trip to Beijing was the last order of the day as the delegation headed to the airport to catch the last flight.