Latest news with #DaniOlmo
New York Times
21 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
How will Barcelona's financial situation affect their transfers this summer?
Barcelona's 2024-25 campaign was thrilling on the pitch — but there were equally dramatic twists and turns off it. Hansi Flick's team won a domestic treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana titles while falling agonisingly short in the Champions League semi-finals against Inter. At the same time, we saw the club once again scramble to deal with their deep financial problems and La Liga's strict salary cap rules. Advertisement The most dramatic situation came during the January transfer window, when Spanish government intervention was required for Barca to field attacking midfielder Dani Olmo and back-up forward Pau Victor for the second half of last season. Further drama appears very likely this summer, with Barca president Joan Laporta insisting the team should be able to sign players as normal, while his La Liga counterpart Javier Tebas says the Catalans still have big financial issues to resolve. Ahead of the end of the club's financial year on June 30, The Athletic sums up the current nature of Barca's situation and attempts to predict what may happen between now and the end of the transfer window in late August… as well as explaining why a set of VIP seats at the Camp Nou could be key. On May 19, Laporta told Catalan TV3 show 'La Nit dels Campions' that Barca's total income for the 2024-25 season would be 'around €950million' ($1billion or £802m at current exchange rates) and predicted that their budget for 2025-26 would be 'more than €1bn'. Asked whether new signings would be arriving, Laporta was coy but suggested the squad would be strengthened. 'First we have to assess what we have, and then we'll reinforce some positions,' Laporta replied. Sporting director Deco and Flick have both spoken about adding more attacking players to the squad, while Laporta told TV3 that goalkeeper was a position they were looking at. Espanyol 'keeper Joan Garcia is Barca's top target, as The Athletic reported in Barca's Transfer DealSheet on Tuesday. For some years now, the problem for Barca has not been finding significant money to buy players, but registering many of these signings with La Liga. The problem for Barca is that they have yet to really resolve the club's past financial problems — including at least €1.3bn of debt from when Laporta returned as president in 2021. Another issue is that the short-term solutions — often called levers — previously deployed to raise money to spend on transfers have not always been accepted by La Liga, who want the club to be run in a more sustainable way. Barca have regularly viewed this as unfair limitation on their activities, and looked to find creative ways to register players — such as when Olmo and Victor were registered for the first half of the 2024-25 campaign using a rule that allows for the temporary replacement of players ruled out through long-term injuries (in that case defender Andreas Christensen). Advertisement Last April, the Spanish government's High Council of Sports (CSD) sports court forced La Liga to register Olmo and Victor to play for Barca for the remainder of 2024-25. That CSD ruling did not question Spanish football's financial controls, but stated the joint committee formed by La Liga and the Spanish football federation (RFEF) did not have the power to revoke Olmo and Victor's licenses in early January. La Liga has confirmed to The Athletic this means the pair are now registered to play for Barca in La Liga until the end of their contracts in 2030 (Olmo) and 2029 (Victor) — although a La Liga appeal of that CSD decision to a different court has yet to be heard. Meanwhile, La Liga maintains Barca did not have space in their current salary limit to register Olmo and Victor back in January. Adding the 'cost' of these two players to their squad means that Barca exceeded their permitted salary limit. So their room for manoeuvre this summer will be limited unless they can raise more money — either through selling players or growing the club's income. Through autumn 2024, Barca's club hierarchy tried various ways to raise money required to register Olmo and Victor permanently with La Liga. A new kit deal with Nike helped, but was not enough. Barca even took a legal case against the regulations to a Catalan court but were unsuccessful. In December, Barca's board decided to sell future revenues from 475 VIP seats at the revamped Camp Nou, which remains under construction, as another new 'lever'. Few details of what the club called a new Personal Seat License (PSL) business model were made public, but Laporta said in mid-January that this raised €100m from two different investors. This includes €70m from the UAE-based New Era Visionary Group (NEVG) owned by Moldovan businessman Ruslan Birladeanu, and €30m from the Qatari-backed, UK-based investment fund Forta Advisors Limited. Nuevas fotos del Spotify Camp Nou 🏟️ — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) June 3, 2025 Barca had already received the entire €30m sum from the Qatari investors and 40 per cent of the remainder (€28m), Laporta said in the mid January press conference. Barca said when announcing the deal that both sets of investor groups had been subject to a mandatory review before the deal, and received positive reports from the club's Compliance Department and Economic Commission. In early April, La Liga questioned the financing of these deals, saying they had been certified by an unnamed auditor back in January. La Liga also said Barca's previous auditors, Grant Thornton, did not mention the €100m in its financial update on the club filed in December, nor did the new auditors, Crowe Global, mention the new income in its report to the league in early April. Barca responded with 'surprise and indignation', claiming that making public such information was 'inappropriate' and that Tebas' public comments on the matter were aimed at 'destabilising' Barca. Reports in the Catalan media have said that the 475 VIP seats (a small part of the 9,400 VIP seats the Camp Nou will have when complete) must be built for the current auditors to count this money within the club's 2024-25 accounts. Advertisement Barca did not reply when asked for details on this, but Laporta told Jijantes in mid-May, 'The (VIP seats) are done. Probably, they can be taken into account starting this month. We need to remember that La Liga fixes the salary limit when they receive our budgets.' In early June, La Liga said it had not received any details about the money coming from the sale of the VIP seats and so have not been able to include it yet within salary limit calculations for the coming season. Barca have previously experienced issues trying to register new contracts given to their best youngsters when they were struggling with La Liga's salary cap. The bumper new contract recently signed with Lamine Yamal, which runs until 2031 and makes the 17-year-old one of the club's top earners will not be endangered by any issues over the salary limit. Key here is a change made to La Liga's rules last November, which allows clubs to improve the contracts of young players whose performances at senior level mean their value has substantially increased. The idea is to ensure emerging stars at clubs in financial difficulties are not immediately tempted away by the offer of pay rises elsewhere. The amount paid 'above' the current club's salary limit to this young player is then subtracted from the total available for wages and transfers in future years. So no matter what happens with the VIP seats or anything else this summer, Barca fans can be assured Yamal is tied to the Camp Nou long term. Although adding his bumper new salary — at potentially €40m a year — now means even less wiggle room in coming seasons. The first 'levers' pulled by Laporta's board were the sale of 25 per cent of Barca's future La Liga TV rights in 2022 for a total of €400m. That means Barca make season-on-season payments of around €40m a season to U.S. investors Sixth Street. More complex is the Barca Studios/Barca Vision project, which Laporta's board had previously viewed as an asset that strengthened the club's financial situation. In August 2023, it was ambitiously valued at $1billion. Advertisement Last October, with money counted on from past investors in the project not having arrived, Barca's previous auditors mandated the value of the Barca Studios/Barca Vision asset be partly written down. This meant that instead of a €12m profit, the club's 2023-24 loss accounts actually showed an overall net loss of €91m. Unless new investors are found for the project — now known as Barca Media — the current auditors will have to decide whether another write-down is required for the 2024-25 accounts. Should this happen, La Liga's rules mean the salary limit for 2025-26 would likely need to be lowered. Asked about this issue, Barca told The Athletic that any new partners for Barca Media would be communicated using the club's official channels. Another unknown is a new Barca Mobile arm of the club's commercial activities, a virtual mobile operator where users pay for roaming data plans via Barca's website, which was launched in April 2025. Laporta predicted it would be a 'goldmine' for the club. The club's main partner in Barca Mobile is NEVG, the same group owned by Moldovan businessman Birladeanu which bought a chunk of the VIP seats at the new Camp Nou. NEVG's only business activities, per its website, are the contracts it has with Barca. Predicting Barca transfer windows is generally difficult, and even many of those involved behind the scenes have been surprised by events during previous summers. About €42m of the money being paid by NEVG for its share of future VIP revenues has yet to be received by Barcelona. Catalan media reports have suggested Birladeanu will facilitate another payment by June 30, so it can be included in the 2024-25 final accounts, but it remains to be seen whether this will actually happen. Asked about this possibility by The Athletic, Barca declined to comment, and NEVG did not reply. Barca will also be looking to raise money and open space in their salary limit by moving on unwanted players — including Ansu Fati, Clement Lenglet and Inaki Pena. Other more important squad members could potentially be sold, with defender Ronald Araujo and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen the subject of transfer speculation over their futures. Barca will want to bring in enough money to bring themselves below their squad salary limit. That would mean they can spend any funds raised, rather than being forced by La Liga's rules to put a significant percentage (around half) towards paying off past debts. This is known as the 1:1 rule in Spain, given clubs can spend a euro for every euro they raise. Advertisement 'I believe we'll be able to sign players, we'll be at '1:1', and I hope we stay like that for many years,' Laporta told Jijantes. 'It's true we were pretty tight, so what we have to do is keep working. It's always difficult, as the 'fair play' rules are, let's say, 'sui generis' (unique). The regulations are open to interpretation. We'll have to keep fighting. It won't be easy, but that way it'll be even sweeter when we do it.' More 'fighting' over the interpretation of the salary limit rules looks likely. That will not be easy, given relations with La Liga were strained even before the Olmo/Victor saga. 'I hope Barca can be 1:1 next window, but you'd have to ask them if they can do that,' Tebas told The Athletic in April. 'They know what they have to do, and we hope it does not happen 48 hours before the window closes in August. We hope not to have any more surprises.' (Top image: Flick and Laporta. Javier Borrego/Europa Press via Getty Images)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Barcelona aware of UEFA Champions League punishment
Barcelona were back in the headlines on Tuesday evening for their finances. This time it is UEFA and not La Liga they have fallen foul of, and it could see them punished in the Champions League. The Blaugrana currently have a legal case open with La Liga over the registrations of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor this season. Both were registered only after an appeal to the High Court for Sport in Spain, with La Liga and the RFEF unregistering them as Barcelona players, due to the fact Barcelona by their judgement had not managed to increase their salary limit in time to maintain their registration. UEFA punishment for Barcelona In October, Barcelona were fined €500k by UEFA for failing to comply with their financial fair play regulations, with the governing body saying Barcelona incorrectly classified some of their assets to alter the calculations. Now with this being the second infringement, the word has been that Barcelona are at risk of a potential sporting sanction for next season's Champions League, which could include playing with a reduced squad or a points deduction in the league phase of the competition. Image via FC Barcelona Barcelona aware of potential punishment However as explained by El Chiringuito, this is not news to Barcelona. They were aware that UEFA could sanction them again due to infringements from previous seasons. However they are not concerned by the potential sanctions, saying that they very much expect it to be a fine rather than a sporting punishment. Notably, it is explained that Barcelona expect the fine to be less than the €500k that they paid this season. That is partly due to the fact that it pertains to previous seasons, and that after investigating, UEFA have established that Barcelona acted 'correctly' to rectify the issue thereafter.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Three takeaways from Athletic Club 0-3 Barcelona
Barcelona cruised to a 3-0 win over Athletic Club on Sunday night in their final game of the season at San Mames. Robert Lewandowski's brace early in the first half gave Barcelona the lead against the run of play, and the Basque side simply could not gain control over the proceedings once the Catalans were gifted the head start. Advertisement Eventually, a Dani Olmo penalty in stoppage time made it 3-0 for the club as they crossed the 100-goal mark in La Liga and concluded their campaign four points above Real Madrid. The game was a special one in many ways, for it marked the end of what has been a stupendous season. Additionally, however, it was the last time in a Barcelona shirt for some players although their identities are still unknown. Barça Universal brings you three talking points from Athletic Club 0-3 Barcelona. Ending on a high Barcelona's title celebrations last weekend understandably saw the team turn up slightly sub-par against Villarreal in their final game at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. Advertisement Hansi Flick's men fell short on the night and dropped three points, although it made no real difference to their campaign for the title was already in the bag. For a season that has been so special for the club, however, it was always clear that the team deserved a better and more resounding way to sign off and that was exactly what they did against Athletic Club last night. Ernesto Valverde's men have been in tremendous form this season and finished the campaign fourth on the standings only behind the big three. To put three goals comfortably past them while not firing on all cylinders, needless to say, perfectly encompasses how lethal the team have been in attack all season. Advertisement What made the night more special was the clean sheet that Barcelona maintained despite the threat of Nico Williams and Inaki Willians – one that is even more special because they did it without Inigo Martinez on the field. Gavi returns to his best Signing off on a high. (Photo by Juan Manuel) Most of Hansi Flick's players have over-delivered compared to what was expected of them this season and the overall improvement in level is indeed a testament to the manager's abilities. One player who generated some criticism in recent months and even dropped out of the starting XI to play a fringe role, however, was Gavi. Having recovered from his ACL blow only midway through the season, the midfielder understandably was used very cautiously by the manager. He did show promise on some occasions but was overall still away from his best version. Advertisement Last night, however, the vintage Gavi turned up and showed exactly where he fits in the manager's plans and thus ended the season with a performance that will get Flick thinking about how to incorporate him into the setup. The German coach initially saw Gavi as an attacking midfielder, but his performance last night as part of the double-pivot with Pedri was phenomenal and an indicator that he can play in that position come next season. In 90 minutes against the Basque side, he completed 119 touches, 97% of his passes, completed two dribbles, and won a staggering 16 of 18 ground duels attempted. With the vintage Gavi back, it will be interesting to see where the manager fits him into his dynamics in pre-season. The curtains close The 2024-25 season has simply flown by for Barcelona and that is a clear-cut indicator of what a special year it has been. Advertisement Hansi Flick's arrival and the manner in which he transformed the team into an attacking monster was not something many pundits anticipated, but it now appears that the Flick-Barcelona connection is a match made in heaven. The campaign has given the team and fans so many reasons to celebrate – right from the big Champions League nights to the title-conquering runs in La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup, and the Copa del Rey. It all finally came to a close last night with Barcelona walking off the field one last time this season at San Mames. All in all, Barcelona can feel mighty proud of the football, mentality, and personality they have shown all season. Had a few minutes gone differently, they would have another game to play at the weekend but fate has it to wait for another season. With the club not participating in the FIFA Club World Cup, the dressing room will now head into some much-needed vacations before returning to international duty. For the non-internationals, pre-season will begin only after seven weeks.
Reuters
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Lewandowski brace ensures victorious end to Barcelona's season in Bilbao
May 25 (Reuters) - A rapid pair of goals by Robert Lewandowski early in the first half and a penalty by Dani Olmo deep in added time ensured a comfortable 3-0 victory for Barcelona over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, ending the season on a high note for the LaLiga champions. With the title clinched more than a week ago, Sunday's match at San Mames stadium had little at stake for either side. Barcelona ended their LaLiga campaign at the summit with 88 points, four ahead of Real Madrid, with Atletico Madrid third on 76 points. Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal round out the top five, ensuring their places in next season's Champions League. They are followed by Real Betis and Celta Vigo who will represent Spain in the Europa League while eighth-placed Rayo Vallecano booked a spot in the Conference League. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick opted to rest several regular starters, including his top goalkeepers Wojciech Szczesny and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, giving third-choice keeper Inaki Pena his first start in more than four months. However, the night belonged to Lewandowski, who put Barcelona ahead in the 14th minute. The Polish striker coolly controlled a pinpoint pass from Fermin Lopez, beating the offside trap before deftly lobbing the ball over goalkeeper Unai Simon. Four minutes later, Lewandowski doubled his tally, heading home from a corner after a clearance error by Athletic's midfielder Unai Gomez. Despite the victory, Lewandowski fell short of matching Kylian Mbappe's 31 goals for the LaLiga season, missing a clear opportunity for a hat-trick shortly after the restart. He finished second in the LaLiga scoring race with 27 goals. In the 92nd minute, Olmo was fouled inside the box and, with Lewandowski having been substituted three minutes before, it was the Spanish international who stepped up to fire a tidy shot from the spot and wrap up Barcelona's win. "We knew it was the last game of the season and we had a plan to win it; we played well in the first half, we had everything under control all the way. It's almost the perfect season. Now let's enjoy the moment," Lewandowski told Movistar Plus.
CNA
25-05-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Lewandowski brace ensures victorious end to Barcelona's season in Bilbao
A rapid pair of goals by Robert Lewandowski early in the first half and a penalty by Dani Olmo deep in added time ensured a comfortable 3-0 victory for Barcelona over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, ending the season on a high note for the LaLiga champions. With the title clinched more than a week ago, Sunday's match at San Mames stadium had little at stake for either side. Barcelona ended their LaLiga campaign at the summit with 88 points, four ahead of Real Madrid, with Atletico Madrid third on 76 points. Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal round out the top five, ensuring their places in next season's Champions League. They are followed by Real Betis and Celta Vigo who will represent Spain in the Europa League while eighth-placed Rayo Vallecano booked a spot in the Conference League. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick opted to rest several regular starters, including his top goalkeepers Wojciech Szczesny and Marc-Andre ter Stegen, giving third-choice keeper Inaki Pena his first start in more than four months. However, the night belonged to Lewandowski, who put Barcelona ahead in the 14th minute. The Polish striker coolly controlled a pinpoint pass from Fermin Lopez, beating the offside trap before deftly lobbing the ball over goalkeeper Unai Simon. Four minutes later, Lewandowski doubled his tally, heading home from a corner after a clearance error by Athletic's midfielder Unai Gomez. Despite the victory, Lewandowski fell short of matching Kylian Mbappe's 31 goals for the LaLiga season, missing a clear opportunity for a hat-trick shortly after the restart. He finished second in the LaLiga scoring race with 27 goals. In the 92nd minute, Olmo was fouled inside the box and, with Lewandowski having been substituted three minutes before, it was the Spanish international who stepped up to fire a tidy shot from the spot and wrap up Barcelona's win. "We knew it was the last game of the season and we had a plan to win it; we played well in the first half, we had everything under control all the way. It's almost the perfect season. Now let's enjoy the moment," Lewandowski told Movistar Plus.
