Wednesday, November 6

FC Barcelona in serious financial trouble

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FC Barcelona is facing a severe financial crisis in 2024 that threatens the club’s future both on and off the pitch. The financial problems have been brewing for several years, and although the club has taken drastic steps to alleviate the situation, they remain deeply in debt.

This is reported by Barca Fans.

Joan Laporta, the club’s president, and the sporting director Deco have been working hard to stabilize the club’s finances.

A large part of the problem stems from the club’s enormous debt, estimated at around 1.35 billion euros. This debt was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which dramatically reduced revenue, as well as by previous management’s excessive wage expenditures and poor transfer deals.

Laporta and his administration have attempted to mitigate the debt through a series of financial “levers.” One of these involved selling 25% of the club’s La Liga TV rights to Sixth Street Capital for 207 million euros over 25 years.

Additionally, 49.5% of Barcelona Studios was sold to Socios.com and Orpheus Media for a total of 200 million euros. Sponsorship deals have also played a significant role in generating revenue, with the deal with Spotify, which includes naming rights to Camp Nou, bringing in 240-280 million euros over four years.

Despite these efforts, Barca continues to face challenges in balancing the budget. La Liga has imposed strict financial fair play rules, meaning the club can only spend one-third of its revenue on new player acquisitions. This has forced the club to focus on reducing wage expenses and selling players.

Several key players, such as Gerard Piqué, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets, have accepted pay cuts to help the club. Additionally, Philippe Coutinho has been sold to Aston Villa, while players like Clement Lenglet and Antoine Griezmann have been sent on loan. The Frenkie de Jong saga has also been central, with the club attempting to sell him to free up funds, but he insisted on staying until his deferred wages were paid.

The club also has ambitions to strengthen the squad with new players. Among the potential signings are young talents like Nico Williams from Athletic Bilbao and Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig. Both players are considered future stars who can contribute to rebuilding the club’s sporting success.

On the pitch, some of the club’s top profiles now include players like Andreas Christensen, Gavi, and Pedri, who have all been crucial to the team’s performances. Christensen has brought stability to the defense, while Gavi and Pedri continue to impress as future stars of the midfield.

While many steps have been taken to improve the club’s finances, significant challenges lie ahead. Barcelona hopes to return to the top of European football, but this will require continued financial adjustments and successful investments in both young talents and established stars.

In summary, FC Barcelona is facing a complex financial situation that requires careful planning and management to ensure the club’s long-term sustainability and sporting success. Laporta and Deco have a monumental task ahead, but with the right decisions and a bit of luck, the club might find its way back to the top of European football.