Eduard Romeu, economic vice president of Barcelona: "Without the levers, the losses would have been 210 million"

Eduard Romeu, economic vice president of Barcelona. ALBERT GEA (REUTERS)

The economic rebirth of Barcelona is clinging to the levers, a euphemism with which president Joan Laporta cataloged financing through the sale of the club's assets.

“The solution would have been to ask the partners to contribute money.

But they were not directly responsible for the mismanagement.

So, we ask the assemblies for authorization to sell assets”, explained Eduard Romeu, vice president of Barça.

The Barça entity transferred 25% of the television rights (with the option of repurchasing it at 25 years) and 49% of Barça Studios (producer of the club's audiovisual content), two operations that allowed it both to close the balance positive of the 2021-2022 campaign (98 million) as well as presenting a budget with 274 million benefits for the 2022-2023 season.

"Without the levers,

last year we would have lost 106 million and in the current year, 210 million”, added Romeu.

Barcelona, ​​however, fails to redirect its ordinary business.

In other words, to avoid closing the 2023-2024 academic year in the red, you must resort to the sale of a new asset.

"It will not be until 2024-2025, when the situation is normalized", concluded the Barça vice president.

financial levers

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In the 2021-2022 season, the expenses of the Barça entity were estimated at 856 million.

Ordinary income, at 628. Thus, without the sale of players for 48 million and other assets for 30;

but, of course, without the transfer of 10% of the television rights for 266 million, the club would have closed the year in the red.

"Transition strategy", described the operation Maribel Meléndez, corporate director.

The same happens in the budget for the 2022-2023 campaign.

Barcelona plans to invoice for its ordinary business 772, but the operating expenses are calculated at 1,065.

The imbalance will be corrected with the sales already made of the other 15% of the television rights plus the transfer of 49% of Barça Studios.

“Right now, we are out of the ICU.

We are in plant.

But at times we have to do treatments.

We have to be very rigorous and austere.

The numbers are cold and interpretable.

There is one thing that the numbers don't say: you arrive at a club and you don't have money to pay salaries”, commented Romeu.

The uncontrolled salary mass.

Not even the departure of Lionel Messi, who had a salary of close to 100 million, helped reduce the imbalance in salaries.

The UEFA, for example, advises that the expenses in the groups are not superior to 70% with respect to the ordinary income.

In the 2020-2021 season, Barça's was 98% (617 salary mass over 631 current billing);

in 2021-2022, 69% (518 out of 750);

and in the budget for 2022-2023 (after the new signings), 77% (656 over 856).

In this case, Barcelona's strategy goes through the passage of time.

This season, Busquets' contract expires and Alba and Piqué's will expire next season.

Between the three, they have an incidence of nearly 120 million in the wage bill.

“We talked, yes, about the departures of some of the captains and other players.

It will not be until 2024-2025 when the situation is normalized.

It comes from the past, it is not a situation sought by the players”, said the Barça vice-president.

The club's idea is to reduce the wage bill by 24%, so that it is established at around 500 (420 for the first team).

“Mateu Alemany is working on that.

These figures will allow us to be competitive”, commented Romeu.

The debt that the club has with Messi, about 60 million, no longer appears in the wage bill.

It is accounted for as debt.

Romeu, in any case, avoided commenting on a possible return of the Argentine.

“It is a matter of sports management.

If they consider it, we will get to work.

Leo is an asset to Barça and he has the club's doors open”, stressed the director.

The agony of the Champions.

Last season, Barcelona's participation in the Europa League after being eliminated from the Champions League, resulted in an economic imbalance of 12 million net.

“Not only do we have to budget only the income, but also the expenses that this entails,” said Romeu.

For the 2022-2023 campaign, the club budgeted to reach the quarterfinals in Orejona.

A plan in the air after Barcelona fell in Munich and Milan.

"We will win the next three games," said the financial manager.

The trip to Montjuïc.

Barcelona has already begun work on the

, the new Camp Nou.

Next season, in any case, these will intensify, and the men's and women's first teams (playing the Champions League at the Estadi) will have to move to the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium.

“We work with ideas and we are imaginative to minimize the losses of not playing at the Camp Nou.

I am angry at what has been done before and what has not been done, such as not taking advantage of COVID [as Real Madrid did] to set up the Espai Barça.

It is an economic and social problem, because I cannot take all the members to Montjuïc.

And no maintenance investment has been made at the Camp Nou.

I cannot quantify the possible losses, we are working”, closed Eduard Romeu.

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