Barcelona, already struggling financially, face another setback as La Liga slashes their salary cap after excluding €100m from Camp Nou's VIP seat sales in their renovation.
Barcelona face another financial hurdle as La Liga rejects the inclusion of Camp Nou’s premium seating income in their books
WHAT HAPPENED?
La Liga has revealed that Barcelona’s latest financial accounts exclude a €100 million (£83m/$108m) sale linked to leasing 475 VIP seats at the revamped Camp Nou for 30 years. The deal was originally meant to facilitate the registration of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, but concerns have arisen regarding its legitimacy. Investors Forta Advisors and New Era Visionary Group have already contributed €57m (£47m/$61m), yet La Liga has opted not to factor it into Barcelona’s salary cap calculations.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Barcelona’s decision to replace Grant Thornton with Crowe as their auditing firm resulted in a €100 million VIP seating deal being omitted from their financial statements, subsequently lowering their salary cap allowance. La Liga has formally notified Spain’s High Sports Council (CSD), which will determine whether Dani Olmo and Pau Victor can be registered. Should the CSD rule unfavorably, both players may become ineligible for the remainder of the season. This financial setback not only impacts Barcelona’s summer recruitment strategy but also potentially exacerbates existing legal issues. The club is preparing an appeal, intensifying scrutiny on president Joan Laporta’s leadership.
DID YOU KNOW?
Barcelona’s president lost his composure during the press conference, firing back at journalists with uncharacteristic anger: “We will respond back to La Liga. They want to attack our interests. La Liga approved signings of Pau Victor and Olmo and now they’ve changed their minds. Why? Did they do a bad job in the first place when they approved the operations? We’re playing a key match tonight and La Liga is communicating this morning. Strange! They can’t beat us on the pitch, so they act off it.”
