Businessman Enric Reyna, FC Barcelona president in 2003, passes away

Barcelona (EFE).- Businessman Enric Reyna Martínez (Barcelona, 1940), who was president of FC Barcelona between February and May 2003 after the resignation of Joan Gaspart, has died this Friday, according to business sources and FC Barcelona.

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Reyna, 85 years old, was a real estate developer by profession and a member of FC Barcelona since 1965. He was a director of the Catalan club from 2000 until December 2002, when he was appointed vice president. With Gaspart’s resignation in February 2003 and until the electoral call, he became the 40th president in the history of the Catalan entity.

Three months as Barça president

During the almost three months he was at the head of the Blaugrana institution, the club won three titles from the sections: the Copa del Rey in basketball and roller hockey, as well as the EHF Cup in handball. He resigned from his position to call an extraordinary assembly that would lead to an electoral call and left the club in the hands of a management commission, chaired by Joan Trayter, who led the Catalan club until the elections of June 15, in which Joan Laporta defeated Lluís Bassat.

Reyna’s Envelopes

Just before leaving office, Reyna deposited a couple of envelopes with confidential content in the club to solve the difficult economic situation that the blue and garnet entity was going through. These are the so-called ‘Reyna envelopes’.

In the first of these, he proposed a series of player trades that would give the club a capital gain of 50 million euros: Fabio Rochemback for Gaizka Mendieta (Lazio), Marc Overmars for Sergio Conceicao (Inter Milan); Thiago Motta for José Mari (Milan) and Gabri for Marcelo Salas (Juventus).

The second contained technical reports on the Can Rigalt land and some real estate offers. None of the proposals were taken into account by the incoming board of directors, at the head of which was already Joan Laporta.

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In his professional life, Reyna was one of the big names in the construction sector in Catalonia through his construction company Amrey. He was also president for 35 years of the Barcelona Promoters Association (APCE), of which he was also a founding member in 1969. Reyna held the position of president of Fira de Barcelona between 1987 and 1991, and also chaired the International Construction Exhibition (Construmat) between 1979 and 1987.