FC Barcelona are still in the clutches of a dire economic situation that could have long-term impacts on the club. This situation has already caused significant problems for the club, as it has been unable to sign players or renew existing ones.
As a result, the bigwigs at the club are working to reverse the situation through a number of actions. According to Toni Juanmarti of Relevo, the club needs to reduce its wage bill by around €180 million in order to return to the 1:1 rule. The club currently is governed by the 1:2.5 rule — they had to recoup €2.5 for every €1 spent on new players’ wages, which makes it difficult for the club to renew its players.
The club is expected to suffer further losses as they will be playing at Montjuic for one year, and the losses can go above the figure of €100 million. Officially the club has estimated the loss at €93 million, but Toni Juanmarti claims these losses to go above €100 million.
One of the steps being considered to mitigate this situation is a collective wage reduction for the men’s first team. Conversations with the players have already been underway in this regard. Furthermore, there will also be one big sale or more than one sale that can inject some much-needed cash into FC Barcelona’s coffers as per the recent reports from RELEVO.
Wage deferrals and renewals with lowered wages are also being considered. Deferrals would not be possible for players whose contracts end in 2024, but for those whose contracts go beyond next year, the club would be looking to come to an agreement to pay them at a more favorable time.
With all these activities, Barcelona aim to save around €70 million. However, these solutions are easier planned than implemented, as most of the players already accepted a wage reduction in 2020, and another wage reduction demand can be met by a natural unwillingness from the players.
