Barcelona sold just over €660m worth of assets last summer in order to construct a competitive team this season, and yet still find themselves in the Europa League after Christmas.
The idea behind doing so was to create a virtuous circle of income, as President Joan Laporta terms it, based on success on the pitch which continues to propagate success off it.
Yet with the club forced to look for ways to make up for the shortfall in the quarter-final run in the Champions League that they had budgeted for, some fear that the situation is far worse. As the club’s debts grow in excess of €1.3b and assets are sold, there is a growing concern that Barcelona will eventually be forced to sell at least a percentage of the club in order to fund themselves. Ultimately, it would mean the club’s members were no longer the full owners of the entity.
Speaking in an interview with Sport, Laporta explained the strategy and the risks involved from the summer.
“With the levers we have saved Barça from ruin, we are recovering economically and we have been able to construct a competitive team. We no longer have the fears of the beginning of the mandate, when we received such a disastrous legacy. At that time we ruled out the option of liquidating the club, of course, or asking the members for money, because they are not responsible for the disastrous management.”
“What we decided was to value some assets that the club had and sell them at a very good price, given the circumstances in which we found ourselves. I will never get tired of thanking the members who gave us the authorization to activate these levers that have saved the club. In addition, these assets represent only 5 percent of the club’s annual income, so the income statements for the coming years are not significantly affected. And I want to remind you that this part of the assets that we have sold can be recovered after 25 years.”
Laporta was defiant that Barcelona would not be sold into private hands.
“A private company, with me as president, will never happen. My reason for existing as president of Barça is that Barça is never a public limited company, that Barça is always owned by the members of the club.”
“I am a firm defender, as my career attests, that Barça always be the property of its members. Some partners that for almost 123 years of history have struggled to maintain this uniqueness despite many vicissitudes. This arrangement connects us to our city, our country, our community and we are not going to change it.”
“My presidency guarantees that Barça will always belong to its members. If someone wants to feed this fear, they are wrong. I am surprised that there are voices that continue to insist that Barça is heading towards a public limited company because it is totally false.”
SAWID
0
Jokerlona
Owells
0
please Laporta sell Barcelona to goat 🐐 CR7 to save your brokelona
[image]
In 5 years time Ronaldo can afford to buy Chelsea but in 20 years time he maybe still struggles to buy Barcelona. 🤮🤮
vuaipuy
0
100% true, clubs like barca and madrid should remain the way they are
exactly beo
vuaipuy
0
much better and thanks you and that make perfect sense
any time bro
SaadAkhtarKhan
0
yup, those billionaire owners put self interest before the interest of the club and the fans they basically take the money from the club for growing their other businesses or their personal use, there are only few of them who do care and spend for the club, an club owned by some billionaire is very risky, they can sell it to someone whom the fans won't like, which can turn out to be the case for chelsa club owned by its fans(members) are more transperant to their fans in their working, big clubs like manchester united face these problems and this is the reason for their downfall also since barca has a huge fans base we generate a lot of money so we don't particularly need some billionaire money it's just safe to have it owned by the members even so when u have good money instead of risking the club with more than 100 years of history
100% true, clubs like barca and madrid should remain the way they are
Juuacimouz
0
First they should get the team out of politics. Second get an asset Management Company taking over for at least 3years so they can stabilize the situation. Looking at past Barca players purchases and contracts, they are really need some Hedge Fund expertise to help maximize returns.
Juuacimouz
0
0😜why Bartomeu is still a free man?
Weubceipuz
0
when you don't have a player that brings incomes and sponsors to the club 🤭🤭and want Messi to return 🤣
Pidacdilno
1
am
MikaelGuerrero
0
yup, those billionaire owners put self interest before the interest of the club and the fans they basically take the money from the club for growing their other businesses or their personal use, there are only few of them who do care and spend for the club, an club owned by some billionaire is very risky, they can sell it to someone whom the fans won't like, which can turn out to be the case for chelsa club owned by its fans(members) are more transperant to their fans in their working, big clubs like manchester united face these problems and this is the reason for their downfall also since barca has a huge fans base we generate a lot of money so we don't particularly need some billionaire money it's just safe to have it owned by the members even so when u have good money instead of risking the club with more than 100 years of history
much better and thanks you and that make perfect sense
vuaipuy
4
bro can you explain that a little better
yup, those billionaire owners put self interest before the interest of the club and the fans they basically take the money from the club for growing their other businesses or their personal use, there are only few of them who do care and spend for the club, an club owned by some billionaire is very risky, they can sell it to someone whom the fans won't like, which can turn out to be the case for chelsa club owned by its fans(members) are more transperant to their fans in their working, big clubs like manchester united face these problems and this is the reason for their downfall also since barca has a huge fans base we generate a lot of money so we don't particularly need some billionaire money it's just safe to have it owned by the members even so when u have good money instead of risking the club with more than 100 years of history
Wapmnort
1
with all these money problems that Barcelona is in, this president Juan Laporta is still obsessed with messi return to the club, Barcelona is in debts of about $ 1.3 billion with not much left to sell, so what are they going to used to finance messi salary
MikaelGuerrero
0
u will get the answer if u put Madrid in that very position or just take ruined pl clubs for example- utd and co
bro can you explain that a little better
haladedeee
0
am a real Madrid fan but Barcelona economy is bad and it was destroy the performance of the team
S100K
2
Donkomi Donkomi....! Brokenlona for sale at a cheaper price.
adeotiisaac
0
Laporta spreading fear. His reign is disastrous for now. 2 year in a row ligue europa. He spent 200 mln for that. And his biggest lie was that he build his whole candidacy on keeping Messi at Camp Nou and when he became president he didn't even try to do it, to negotiate with him. Laporta is a trickster
Still no or if you business let’s wait and see we always happy during is time in Barcelona president blame goes to bartomue not laporta
adeotiisaac
0
my only problem is don't blame real Madrid if you fail
You’re sick in head who mentioned Madrid in the news for God sake pls stop smoking bro
fuzadkrtz
1
my only problem is don't blame real Madrid if you fail
Thanggin
1
damn best club 😂😂
cemabklmp
2
please Laporta sell Barcelona to goat 🐐 CR7 to save your brokelona
Faoson30
2
Reduce ur belly and say again🤣
zimbabimba
2
Laporta spreading fear. His reign is disastrous for now. 2 year in a row ligue europa. He spent 200 mln for that. And his biggest lie was that he build his whole candidacy on keeping Messi at Camp Nou and when he became president he didn't even try to do it, to negotiate with him. Laporta is a trickster
vuaipuy
1
man just let some billionaire buy the club 🤔
u will get the answer if u put Madrid in that very position or just take ruined pl clubs for example- utd and co
Yimbcimr
0
Barça always problems🙄😭
MikaelGuerrero
1
man just let some billionaire buy the club 🤔