President Joan Laporta has illustrated the financial plight of the traditional Spanish soccer club FC Barcelona with drastic figures.
“The debts amount to 1.35 billion euros as of June 30,” said Laporta on Monday at a balance sheet press conference and criticized the work of his predecessor Josep Bartomeu: “Bartomeu plugged holes in the short term by mortgaging the club on a long-term basis Has.
That left us with a dramatic legacy. "
Laporta, who was elected Barça president for the second time in March, gave extensive insights into the Catalans' red numbers on Monday.
“We have losses of 468 million, this has already been reported to the league.
The effects of COVID-19 amount to 91 million, ”said the 59-year-old official.
"The wage costs amount to 617 million, which corresponds to 103 percent of the income."
Only recently, the Spanish league had banned Barça's contract extension with Lionel Messi, even though the superstar would have waived half of his salary.
Leading players Gerard Piqué, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Sergi Roberto also seem willing to waive their wages.
This was confirmed by Piqué after Sunday's 4-2 win against Real Sociedad from San Sebastián.
"Rebels" back in ECA
Former President Bartomeu, who announced his resignation in October 2020, sent an open letter to his successor on Friday, listing ten allegations against Laporta and the board in detail. "Bartomeu's letter contains eight lies," said Laporta. "I don't want this desperate attempt to justify an unjustifiable administration to be made in order to evade its responsibility."
It was “in bad taste to take advantage of the moment of turmoil,” said Laporta and blamed Bartomeu for the economic crisis: “The alleged wage cut of 68 million did not exist. It was carried over to the payments at the end of the contracts. ”FC Barcelona now intends to make“ wage cuts of 200 million ”; without club legend Messi on the payroll, “the need has decreased”. In the future, wage costs should amount to around 65 to 70 percent of total expenditure, "currently we are over 90 percent".
FC Barcelona is currently also playing a role in terms of ECA. Nine of the twelve "rebels" have been accepted back into the International Club Association ECA a good four months after the turmoil surrounding the football Super League, which had failed for the time being. Only the three top clubs Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Juventus Turin, which continue to stick to the idea of a series competing in the Champions League, are left out.
"This decision by the ECA board marks the end of an unfortunate and turbulent episode for European football and corresponds to the relentless focus of the ECA on strengthening unity in European football," announced the club association on Monday. The twelve rebel clubs left the ECA directly in April when a Super League was founded. After a few days, after violent protests from national leagues, associations and fan groups, the model had already failed.