Latest Barcelona News: Barcelona is still facing a lot of crisis including scandals and financial issues
Despite Barcelona’s successful performance in the LaLiga, their remarkable domestic season has been somewhat eclipsed by various issues off the field, such as their worsening financial situation and a refereeing controversy that could potentially last for years.
In March, Spanish prosecutors lodged a complaint against Barcelona for purportedly making payments amounting to €7.3 million ($8 million) to companies owned by former refereeing official Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira from 2001 to 2018. The case has been accepted by a court in Barcelona.
UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, initiated an investigation into the club in March, focusing on the same payments. The club has denied any wrongdoing and claimed that it paid an external consultant for technical reports related to professional refereeing, which is a common practice among many clubs.
However, Enriquez Negreira, who was the vice-president of the refereeing committee of the Spanish Football Association from 1993 to 2018, was involved in the entire period under investigation. Regardless of the outcome, the club’s reputation has been severely damaged, and the legal process and UEFA’s investigation could prolong the negative impact.
Barcelona is currently facing financial difficulties due to various factors such as their high wage bill, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and their costly renovation project. Additionally, they are constrained by LaLiga’s Financial Fair Play regulations, which prevented them from re-signing Lionel Messi.
As a result, the club is still over €200 million euros above the cap and cannot register new contracts for important players like Ronald Araujo and Gavi unless they find a way to manage their budget.
The club’s finances have been negatively impacted by their early exit from European competition this season. To balance the books, the board has taken several measures, including selling stakes in their TV rights and media divisions. Additionally, the club will be leaving their outdated Camp Nou stadium for a few seasons to undergo an expensive renovation project.
The board had predicted that the team would reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League and generate significant income, but they were knocked out in the group stage and the Europa League. This has put pressure on coach Xavi to win the league, which was another budget prediction, to limit the damage to their income for 2022-23.
Despite the team’s success in winning the LaLiga title, there are still concerns within the club’s high offices.
READ ALSO: Barcelona Negreira Case: Joan Laporta denies any wrongdoing in the latest refereeing debacle
