At a general meeting late Thursday evening, two proposals by Club President Joan Laporta for the short-term development of new sources of income were accepted with a clear majority. The financially ailing Spanish football club hopes that around 700 million euros will flow into the empty coffers in the next few weeks. The sometimes heated debates before the two votes lasted almost three and a half hours. First, the sale of a 49.9 percent stake in Barca Licensing and Merchandising (BLM) was approved, which should bring in 200 to 300 million euros. The members with voting rights then also approved the assignment of a maximum of 25 percent of the TV rights for a maximum of 25 years. According to Laporta, this could mean income of at least 500 to 550 million euros.
Laporta, who has been in office since March 2021, had drummed up his proposals before the meeting and said, among other things: “Barca was dead. Now we are in intensive care. If these measures are approved, we will be discharged from the hospital.” The club has horrendous debts totaling 1.35 billion euros.
In addition to the 33-year-old Pole Lewandowski, Laporta wants to bring in other top footballers “to be able to play for titles again”. Among others, the Portuguese Rafael Leao and Bernardo Silva, the Spaniard Carlos Soler and the Senegalese Kalidou Koulibaly are under discussion. In order not to jeopardize the intended restructuring of the finances, players’ salaries are to be cut at the same time and the salary pool reduced by 160 to around 400 million euros a year. Players who earn a lot and didn’t do so well in Barcelona should also be sold. The transfer of the Dutchman Frenkie de Jong, in which according to media reports Manchester United is particularly interested, should flush around 100 million into the coffers.
Source: Nachrichten
