Barcelona’s latest trick to boost finances as more money issues loom

With Dani Olmo’s LaLiga registration again up in the air, president Joan Laporta has been in Mongolia and Azerbaijan looking to raise funds.

Time is ticking, but Barcelona can’t afford to rest on its laurels. By December 31, Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor will no longer be registered to play in LaLiga if the club doesn’t meet the necessary financial fair play requirements to make their temporary registrations permanent. The club’s executives, though, are confident that they will secure the needed funds by that date, thanks to ongoing negotiations for new commercial agreements.

Joan Laporta travels the world in search of Barça commercial agreements

Additionally, Barça president Joan Laporta has been traveling to Mongolia and Azerbaijan this past week. Although the club states these trips are for “private” reasons, Laporta has been leveraging them to potentially close deals that could financially benefit the club.

In Mongolia, he met with the Minister of Culture, Nomin Chinba, to discuss the possibility of establishing a Barça Academy and promoting the country internationally through the Go Mongolia brand. He also met with the owners of Gobi, a Mongolian multinational known for its cashmere products. Gobi announced a cooperation agreement with Barcelona, granting them exclusive rights to produce and sell Barça merchandise in Mongolia. Soon, Barça fans in Mongolia will be able to purchase official team-branded products at Gobi stores.

Laporta’s next stop was Azerbaijan, accompanied by Alejandro Echevarría, youth football director Joan Soler, women’s football director Xavi Puig, and a member of the club’s security team. They attended the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, where Laporta met with businessman Adnan Ahmadzada, owner of the chemical company Azchemco, with whom he has a longstanding relationship.

Supporters’ groups unhappy with “private” Laporta trips

These trips have raised eyebrows among some supporters’ groups, who question the “private” nature of these travels, given the presence of club executives and the public nature of the events. The ‘Som un clam’ supporters’ group, led by Joan Camprubí, has demanded “clear explanations” from the club regarding these trips.

Currently, with a new sponsorship deal finalized with Nike, Barcelona is focused on finding new investors for Barça Vision, a project whose goal is to  use emerging technologies to create a more engaging fan experience. They are negotiating with two potential investors, as announced at a recent Assembly of members, and are already in the due diligence process with one of them.