Barcelona's salary limit continues to fall: 66 million euros less than last summer

In September 2023, Real Madrid was close to tripling FC Barcelona's salary limit.

Now, after the latest publication by LaLiga this Tuesday of the Sports Squad Cost Limits (LCPD) of the 20 First Division teams and the 22 Second Division after the winter market, it is already a reality.

Barcelona's financial health continues to worsen: Barça's salary limit drops by 66 million more compared to the start of the season last September 2023, going from 270 million euros to 204 (25% less).

While the reality at the white club is opposite: leaders of the LCPD and LaLiga table, Real Madrid will have 727 million, a figure that has remained the same since the beginning of the season.

A difference between both clubs that would allow Florentino Pérez's club to spend 523 million more than Barcelona.

Although the Barça club's

is still exceeded—over 400 million euros—as acknowledged by Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga.

"It worries me.

But I'm not worried because I know that the club has mechanisms that will allow it to get out of the state it is in.

He will have to adapt and see what the best options are to find the way and solve the problem,” Tebas said in a recent interview with the Portuguese media

.

And he added: “Barcelona has always had the habit of going to the maximum salary limit imposed by LaLiga.

The pandemic arrived, income fell drastically, which did not happen with salaries, and the contracts were for several years due to the issue of amortization.

The consequence was that the charges were not adapted to the reduction in income.”

🚨 Sports squad cost limits (LCPD) of the #LALIGAEASPORTS and #LALIGAHYPERMOTION clubs after the winter transfer market.

📎 https://t.co/PDvnD8yp8P pic.twitter.com/usCMMe732V

— LALIGA Corporate (@LaLigaCorp) February 20, 2024

A rise and fall of the salary limit present in the last seasons of FC Barcelona.

In February 2022, the club had a negative salary margin of -144 million euros, and in September of the same year it grew by more than 800 million to 656 and in February 2023 it reached 648. An increase resulting from the sale of 25% of the television rights and 49% of Barça Studios, operations classified as “financial levers” of president Joan Laporta.

Actions that have not worked this year: Líbero Football Finances, a German investment fund, has not paid the 40 million euros agreed for the purchase of 10% of Barça Vision before December 31, as agreed.

The decrease in the LCPD means, in turn, that player expenses have not been reduced, in addition to having more expenses and less income than predicted.

An economic problem that will have a tail in sports: the capacity to register footballers continues to decline.

For example, the situation of Vitor Roque who, temporarily registered and occupying the salary space due to Gavi's long-term injury, will have to repeat the process starting July 1.

All three years after Leo Messi's bitter goodbye from the Barça club.

“We have an institution that is above everyone, even the best player in the world,” Laporta then stressed, attributing his departure from the club to the excessive salary margin.

But the situation has not changed since then.

More information

The League makes its economic regulations more flexible to encourage a greater movement of transfers

Barcelona is not even second—it occupies third place—in the LCPD table: Atlético de Madrid goes from the 296 million it registered in the summer market to 303. Meanwhile, Girona, second in LaLiga, has increased its cushion slightly: it has gone from 51.97 million to 52.17.

Cádiz, Alavés, Rayo Vallecano, Las Palmas and Getafe are still below.

Meanwhile, at Barcelona, ​​the problem continues to pivot between having a promising sporting project and cleaning up the club's coffers.

You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes on