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Laporta, Xavi and the levers: how Barça went from ruin to being the biggest investor in transfers in the League

2022-09-15T06:39:13.785Z


The five keys to the summer football phenomenon In March 2021, FC Barcelona's debt was estimated at 1,350 million euros and net worth was negative. But the new Barça leadership, led by Joan Laporta, had a plan. In exclusive statements for EL PAÍS, the president explains how Barça jumped from economic ruin to become the Spanish League club that invested the most money in signings this summer. 1. Laporta magnetism In an economically and sociall


In March 2021, FC Barcelona's debt was estimated at 1,350 million euros and net worth was negative.

But the new Barça leadership, led by Joan Laporta, had a plan.

In exclusive statements for EL PAÍS, the president explains how Barça jumped from economic ruin to become the Spanish League club that invested the most money in signings this summer.

1. Laporta magnetism

In an economically and socially depressed club, few remedies are more effective than a guy with Laporta's personality.

The president presented himself to the elections with a defiant banner a few meters from the Santiago Bernabéu ("Looking forward to seeing you again"), the promise of Messi's renewal and the feeling that in Barcelona there were no more arguments than his ability politics (he closed in extremis the economic guarantee that was necessary to make his mandate official).

“There is no improvisation, there is leadership.

And a great capacity for work thinking at all times about what is best for the club.

The partners did not choose us to lament, but to seek solutions to position Barça once again in the world's forefront in all aspects”, analyzes Laporta.

2. What is a lever?

“The term 'economic levers' is commonly used in economics.

We have not invented anything.

I seem to remember that I used this expression in an interview they did to me on Barça TV at the end of last year when they asked me about the financial situation of the club and possible solutions.

So I said that we were working to activate 'levers' that would help us to have economic and financial stability, to recover institutional normality and strengthen the team to have a competitive workforce”, says Laporta.

The levers, in short, are the assets that Barça has sold with the permission of the assembly of compromising partners.

25% of the television rights for 25 years were transferred to the Sixth Street investment fund —10% for 207 million and 15% for 320—.

That is to say, the club has stopped receiving close to 1,000 million in the next 25 years for adding 527 today.

In addition, 49% of Barça Studios was sold for around 200 million - 24.5% to Socios.com for 100 million and the other 24.5% for 100 million more to Orpheus Media, a company managed by Jaume Roures, founding partner from Mediapro.

“You cannot sell assets that are not attractive to an investor.

Barcelona's bet is out of necessity and to compete again, ”explains Marc Ciria, general director of Diagonal Inversiones, a specialist in sports economics.

3. Without risk, there is no Laporta

"If we had not assumed that risk, today we would not have this great team," they maintain in the economic area of ​​​​Barcelona.

“Another risk?” Ciria asks, “in the next few years, a percentage of the rights that represent 7.5% of the budget will not be received.

We will have to look for other sources of income in a year in which you will not play at the Camp Nou (work will begin on the Espai Barça, the new Barça home)”.

"Activating the levers", concludes Laporta, "is nothing more than exercising brave and audacious professional management in order to optimize the club's resources to the maximum in order to build the present and future to return to being competitive without giving up the model of property of the institution and to the essence of the month than a club.

There were no other alternatives to be able to act in the face of negative equity in a situation of accounting failure, with debt and future commitments estimated at 1,350 million euros and zero operating cash flow.

4. The pending account: the wage bill

Activated the levers, the budget for the season is about 1,300 million.

Expenses, 900. "There is no other sports entity in the world that has 900 million euros in expenses," says Marc Ciria.

The problem for Barcelona is that 69% of the expenses are taken by the first team.

The wage bill, added to amortizations, is estimated at 620 million.

“The salaries of the first team is a situation that we have inherited and we are working to solve it.

The problem was not Messi's salary.

He deserved what he got.

The problem is the others who didn't deserve it and are still at the club”, exposes some of those responsible for the Barcelona sports area.

"The club will be in deficit again at the ordinary level next year," says Marc Ciria.

From the economic area of ​​the club they respond: "Next season, surely, we will also have to activate another lever".

The board already has the permission of the committing members to sell BLM (the club's retail company, which is responsible for managing physical stores, sales through third parties, online sales and licensed products).

5. Xavi's pressure

The coach was clear about his diagnosis.

"We need reinforcements.

Now it depends on the club, ”he warned in May.

The sports management signed seven players: Lewandowski, Kessié, Christensen, Koundé, Raphinha, Marcos Alonso and Bellerín, and tied Dembélé.

“The pressure is for me, but the squad is for Barça”, reflects Xavi.

And Laporta concludes: “Not everything depends on Xavi.

It depends on everyone.

We are a family.

We all win, we all lose.

And what we want is to start a winning cycle”.

To follow Laporta, it is convenient to look at the ball.

In 2003 he reinvented the club from the figure of Ronaldinho;

now he does it again with the Polish Lewandowski.

Football takes precedence over offices.

It is a game.

From now on he sends the ball to the Camp Nou.

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Source: elparis

All news articles on 2022-09-15

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