CaixaBank, the “la Caixa” Banking Foundation and the Spanish Olympic Committee today held an institutional event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the “Libreta Campeones”, an initiative launched by the bank in 1988 to reward and incentivise the success of Spanish athletes at the Barcelona ’92 Olympic Games, while also helping to shore up their financial futures.
74 medallists from the Barcelona ’92 Olympics came together to mark the most successful Olympic Games in history for Spanish athletes, the 25th anniversary of which will be celebrated on 25 July.
The event was attended by Isidro Fainé, President of the “la Caixa” Banking Foundation, Jordi Gual, Chairman of CaixaBank, and Alejandro Blanco, President of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE).
Isidro Fainé, Chairman of the “la Caixa” Banking Foundation, opened the event, describing the origins of the “Libreta Campeones” and its historical ties with the bank. Fainé also took the opportunity to pay tribute to Juan Antonio Samaranch, “not only as the inspiration behind the “Libreta Campeones”, but also for everything he meant to Barcelona ’92 and the Olympics, and of course for what he represented to “la Caixa””. And likewise Josep Vilarasau, “who helped launch what would become the most important private finance initiative in the history of Spanish sports”.
“The idea was for “la Caixa” to reward and incentivise athletes’ dedication while helping to shore up their financial security upon retirement, as well as contributing to the success of Spanish sport at the Barcelona Olympics”, said Fainé. The initiative focused on retirement planning, “an area in which the bank has accumulated extensive expertise, dating right back to its origins”, he added.
The values that CaixaBank shares with sports
Jordi Gual, the Chairman of CaixaBank, thanked the guests for attending the event, before outlining the values that the bank shares with the world of sports. During his speech, the CaixaBank Chairman pointed to “the competence and aptitude for generating value demonstrated by the bank in creating such an imaginative, farsighted, and effective solution as the “Libreta Campeones”, a pioneering and revolutionary programme that aimed to shore up athletes’ financial futures once their sporting careers end. The initiative was made possible 25 years ago by a determined group of people led by Juan Antonio Samaranch, Ricard Fornesa, Josep Vilarasau and Isidro Fainé”.
“CaixaBank could not have inherited a greater example of generosity towards the world of sports and the Olympics than this”, said Gual, “and it is one that we will strive to maintain and develop as far as possible”. “Both CaixaBank and “la Caixa” Banking Foundation, its main shareholder, have a series of values stamped in their DNA, which very often coincide with those of the Olympic Movement: respect for the principles of ethics, education and culture as core elements of society; social engagement in all our activities, and the confidence that customers place in us as a long-standing institution”.
“Libreta Campeones”: 676 pension funds worth 50 million euros
The “Libreta Campeones” was a project launched by “la Caixa” in 1988, at the proposal of the bank’s Board of Directors. The mission was to make financial contributions to the pensions of Spanish athletes who achieved success at the Olympic Games of Seoul ’88 and Barcelona ’92.
To be eligible athletes needed to secure records (national, European or world), win medals in international championships, or take a medal or fourth or fifth place at the Barcelona ’92 Olympic Games.
The bank provided funds of between 30,000 euros for a Spanish record to 600,000 euros for an individual gold medal at Barcelona ’92.
These awards also represent an example for retirement saving, with athletes having the option of claiming the funds in a lump sum once they turn 50 or receiving a monthly life annuity. According to the bank’s estimates, the success of Spanish athletes during that period meant that 676 such retirement funds were set up, with a value of 50 million euros. So far nearly 200 athletes have collected their pensions.
These contributions to the retirement planning of Spanish sportsmen and women aimed to incentivise great performance at the Olympic Games in Barcelona.
Commitment to Olympism and Olympic values
In his speech, Alejandro Blanco, President of the COE, underscored CaixaBank’s steadfast commitment to Olympism and its values. “CaixaBank is one of the closest and most dedicated partners of the COE and its athletes, to whom it has been providing financial support since the Seoul Olympics of 1988. Its backing for programmes such as the ADO has played a key role in the huge improvement of Spanish sports on the international stage in recent decades”, said Blanco.
“The “Libreta Campeones” is the best initiative in Spanish sports aimed at ensuring a secure future for athletes. When the programme was unveiled most of the athletes were too young to appreciate its value, but today the Libreta Campeones is held in great esteem by those who took national sports to the highest level at the ‘92 Olympic Games”.
The event also included a debate, moderated by journalist Olga Viza, during which leading athletes who represented Spain at Barcelona ’92 exchanged stores from 25 years ago and discussed CaixaBank’s commitment to sports in general and the Olympics in particular.
Fermín Cacho (athletics), José Manuel Moreno (cycling) and Almudena Muñoz (judo) all shared their memories of those two weeks from 26 July to 9 August, which marked a new chapter in the history of Spanish sports.
