FC Barcelona, which owes more than a billion euros, behaves as a transfer croesus. Not only Julian Nagelsmann is surprised.
Julian Nagelsmann finds FC Barcelona’s multi-million transfer offensive Spanish. “This is the only club in the world that has no money but buys any player they want,” said the Bayern Munich coach pointedly, shaking his head with a smile: “It’s weird and crazy.”
And in view of a debt level of well over a billion euros, completely inexplicable, not only for Nagelsmann. Barca have not only strengthened themselves with Munich goalkeeper Robert Lewandowski, said the coach, visibly irritated, “they buy a lot of players – I don’t know how. They somehow find solutions, I have no idea. But they definitely have a better team now.” .
World footballer Lewandowski came for up to 50 million euros, the Brazilian Raphinha for 58 million, and Ferran Torres, who signed in the winter, cost 55 million. Barca recorded the third largest transfer minus in Europe this summer – and is far from done: Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea FC) and Jules Kounde (FC Sevilla) are also expensive.
FC Barcelona affords luxury on credit
Busy President Joan Laporta dreams of a repeat of the golden era under Pep Guardiola, when football was dominated by world star Lionel Messi. “Barca need to be world leaders again,” he said. In June, Laporta compared his ailing club to a “patient who is practically dead from a financial point of view”.
CFO Eduard Romeu palely reported it would take 500m to ‘save’ Barca. In order to do that and at the same time make the team more competitive again, he pawned the silverware. US investor Sixth Street will pay 207.5 million for ten percent of the income from the league TV rights over the next 25 years. Another 15 percent should bring in over 300 million, 49.99 percent of “Barca Licensing & Merchandising” also 200 to 300.
Bayern club boss Oliver Kahn was more cautious than Nagelsmann on Wednesday. “None of us can judge the internals from a distance. I find it a bit difficult to make judgments there. They will know what they are doing,” said Kahn.
Nevertheless: The Catalans afford luxury on credit – and take a risky bet on the future. Sales, according to the cool calculation, should soon rise back to the time before Corona and Barca should be the first club to break the magic billion sound barrier. At the same time, coach Xavi should build on earlier successes with top players like Lewandowski and bring in higher revenues through titles.
Risky financial models for salaries
At the same time, Laporta is using daring financial models to save on salaries: old icons such as Sergio Busquets or Gerard Pique agreed to cuts, new stars initially earn comparatively little, but all the more in the second or third year of the contract.
These tricks are designed to comply with the Spanish league’s financial rules, according to which Barca are only allowed to spend 33 cents for every euro saved or earned. Still, all the new Lewandowskis haven’t even been allowed to be registered in La Liga yet.
The football finance blog “Swiss Ramble” writes of a daring game with fire, the Catalans have “learned very little from the mistakes of the past” – and are therefore looking to the future: to the Super League as the solution to all problems. The Reichenliga lures with a welcome bonus of 270 million euros. Not only Nagelsmann rubs his eyes in amazement.