The issue of Financial Fair Play is one of the most stinging problems for FC Barcelona in the last few years. It has not only kept the Catalan club from signing quality players of its choice but has also led to some fines and penalties, thus further exacerbating the already weak financial condition of the club.
This issue has again been in the news as SPORT cites The “Telegraph” when claiming that UEFA has warned the two top Spanish clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona, that some of the incomes they have shown in their balance and income sheets would not be considered towards the FFP, as UEFA does not agree with these policies.
Such a measure would add further pressure to an already pressurized Barcelona that has made all possible efforts to bring the numbers up to the requirements of registering their new signings and contract renewals.
This measure would also impact their traditional rivals, Real Madrid, and could also be one of the factors forcing the Blancos to have an austere summer transfer window so far. The Madrid side has not made any significant signing beyond the transfer of Jude Bellingham this summer.
The action that has caused UEFA to take issue with these two clubs is the sale of future income streams. FC Barcelona sold a series of future sources of income for around €700 million last summer, while Real Madrid had sold future proceeds from a redeveloped Santiago Bernabeu to an American company, Sixth Street, for €360 million.
Both the clubs had shown the incomes from these sales as profits in their statements published for their voting members. UEFA already fined FC Barcelona €500,000 last Friday for its presentation of FFP, and this latest issue can also cause significant problems for the club.
