FC Barcelona’s board of directors feel they are being monitored since some kind of social pressure has set in to know exactly the club’s financial situation since Joan Laporta’s return in 2021. Economic vice-president Eduard Romeu today explained the state of the accounts at an informative meeting that was interpreted as an exercise in transparency given the allegations made at the Camp Nou. Although terms have been extended and interest rates lowered, the debt remains at 1,350 million while the expected salary pool for next season is 528 million, compared to 656 million in June last year and 708 million in the previous season. That is, in the first course the amount decreased by 7.3% (52 million), and now it has decreased by 25.4% (180 million) compared to the arrival of Laporta.
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The 528 million earmarked for the 2023-2024 financial year includes 51 million, which corresponds to the salaries of five players returning from loan and who could soon leave the company, such as Umtiti, Lenglet, Dest, Collado and Gustavo Maya. The current policy also provided for 389 million in deferred wages and “lie bonuses” – a term used because they are easy to meet – of which 70 million have yet to be paid. In any case, the impact of the wage bill, which runs in 90 million sections, has recently been softened by the departures of footballers such as Piqué, Alba and captain Busquets.
The Barça board also plan to approve around six million before Day 30 after failing to meet the cut agreed with LaLiga. Laporta’s board of directors pledged to cut the sections’ salary bill by around 104 million, which was overly optimistic for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. The forecast was 10 million and four were achieved, leaving the difference to be covered according to the plan presented in La Liga Profesional. The confirmation allows the immediate registration of already renewed players such as Marcos Alonso, Sergi Roberto, Iñaki Peña and in particular Gavi and Araujo, who had important offers from the Premier.
The signings of Athletic centre-back Iñigo Martínez and Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gündogan, players with whom Barcelona have already reached an agreement, come from July after the club had already given guarantees that both would be registered in LaLiga. The various professional departments are also announcing salary cuts for their cadres, above all the basketball team, which is negotiating the termination of Mirotic’s contract, which amounts to around 11 million. Even with the closure of Barça TV broadcasts planned for the 30th, there will be no turning back because, according to the board, it is not sustainable: it costs 14 million and there are only two.
Next season will also be particularly complicated as the team will play their games in Montjüic due to the works at Camp Nou. The policy reckons with losses of about 50 million while waiting for the number of subscribers willing to go to the Olympic Stadium to increase: the number currently stands at about 12,500 and it is expected that about 20,000 in one Venue with a capacity of about 20,000 will be counted about 49,472 spectators. Forecasts assume that competition can resume at Barça Stadium in November 2024. The new Palau Blaugrana, on the other hand, is expected to take place two years after the completion of the new Camp Nou.
The cost of the work on Espai Barça is estimated at around 1,450 million and the club does not include it in the amount of the debt, considering that they are two completely different paths; The obsession right now is to ensure normal business no longer generates losses estimated at around £200m without the need for even more leverage, as was the case with last season’s signings led by Lewandowski . Romeu’s argument was ultimately a response to the complaint of Víctor Font, the candidate for the last presidential election in 2021, which Laporta won. “Barça is worse now than it was two and a half years ago,” said Font. The debt will be maintained while the wage bill falls and signings are considered without Barca having to take out any more mortgages.
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