GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador — In his sparsely decorated corner office overlooking the field at Estadio Monumental, Juan Alfredo Cuentas sought to explain the power of the brand he has inherited as Barcelona Sporting Club’s new vice president for finance. Outside, the once-manicured grass lay vacant for the off-season, slowly spoiling in the January heat.
“It’s on par with a Coca-Cola, a Samsung or a Pepsi,” he said of his team. “It’s the strongest and most talked about brand in the country, and it generates headlines every day.”
For most soccer fans around the globe, the name Barcelona is synonymous with the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez; huge financial resources; and Champions League triumphs that have often made Spain the king of the sport.