Madrid (AFP)

FC Barcelona is "one of the big clubs that suffers the most" from the current health and economic crisis, assured coach Ronald Koeman on Tuesday, while the Catalan club announced Monday in an economic report to deplore a debt "to short term "of 730.6 million euros.

"FC Barcelona is one of the big clubs that suffers the most from Covid-19. There is no public, no tourism ... but all the big clubs have bad figures," Koeman assured Tuesday at a press conference before Barça's Copa del Rey round of 16 against Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday.

On Monday, Barça published its 2019-2020 economic report, in which he admits to having a "short-term" debt of 730.6 million euros.

The Blaugrana club also confirms having a total debt which amounts to 1.173 billion euros.

The balance sheet indicates that this debt includes EUR 196m in long-term debts to other clubs for player transfers.

For example, Barca owe Girondins de Bordeaux 10m long term for the transfer of Malcom and EUR 48m long term for the transfer of Frenkie de Jong, while he will receive a total of EUR 108.7m. from other clubs for its transferred players.

The economic report also confirms that the Catalan club has lost 97 million EUR in revenue due to the pandemic, as announced since October.

Barça recorded EUR 855m in turnover in 2019-2020, which is EUR 203m less than the planned amount (EUR 1.058m).

This delicate economic situation led Barça to postpone the payment of salaries to players from January to February, according to the Spanish press.

"I do not know if this is true, sometimes false things come out in the press, I have to inquire and then I can answer", evaded Koeman Tuesday, assuring on the contrary: "I did not feel the players concerned by this subject ".

In November, the players reached an agreement with the club to cut their salaries by EUR 122m for the 2020-2021 season.

A reduction to which was added "the calibration for 3 years of the variable bonuses of this season, estimated at around 50 M EUR".

Barca are one of the teams with the biggest payroll in the world: it stood at EUR 391.6m last season.

© 2021 AFP