FC Barcelona’s La Liga triumph a testament to teamwork: CEO to employees
To the Rakuten Team,
Success is no accident. It requires hard work, determination, adaptability, and most of all, a love for what you’re doing. This applies in both business and sport.
This week, the professionalism and commitment to excellence demonstrated by our friends at FC Barcelona has yielded terrific results once again and I take great pleasure in sharing with you and celebrating the news that FCB has won the prestigious Primera División, better known as La Liga, for the 25th time.
When we embarked on the journey with FC Barcelona not even a year ago, we didn’t just do it for medals or trophies. Yes, we were drawn to Barca’s greatness on the field: their innovative, team-oriented playstyle, which is as beautiful as it is effective, but even more so, we were convinced that aligning with a partner of FCB’s global standing, who also shares common values of teamwork, passion and empowerment, would inspire us all and, along the way, help Rakuten to become a truly global brand, recognized all around the world.
Seeing all the top players—Messi, Iniesta, Suarez and Pique—celebrating this glorious victory, while wearing the Rakuten name on their chest, truly fills me with pride and I hope will have a similar effect on everyone across the Rakuten Group. It’s not simply the title that matters, it’s the incredible teamwork and commitment to excellence that it represents that continues to inspire!
This moment also reminds me of some big moments in Rakuten history like winning the national baseball championships in 2013 with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, an event that proved to be a turning point for the standing of our brand in Japan.
One of our culture’s core values is solidarity – which means that we form one team, we work together, struggle together and ultimately win together. Being a great team does not mean that you always win easily—in fact, it’s how a team faces adversity that ultimately defines their greatness. There were many challenges, both big and small, that the club faced this season, from bringing on a new manager to lineup changes—but together they persevered, never wavering in their belief in the power of the team and their optimism in the future.
This first year as partners of FC Barcelona has already brought us much to celebrate, from Messi’s 300th goal to Barca’s recent Copa del Rey victory. We now have another great reason to put on our FCB jerseys and celebrate as one team.
At Rakuten we believe in the future. Together with FC Barcelona, we can all look forward to many more inspiring moments in the days and months ahead!
Mickey
The above message was originally sent as an email to all Rakuten employees on May 1, 2018.
