Even veterans have been hit by the economic crisis at FC Barcelona. Charly Rexach, for example, has terminated the contract with the club he served 53 of his 73 years – as a player he was captain, as a coach, among other things, he was deputy to Johan Cruyff and, finally, adviser to the club presidents for a decade. When he said goodbye in the newspaper “Mundo Deportivo”, he did not forget to mention that in the end he had only received half his salary.
With the players, the cuts do not go that far. But at least the professionals have now sent a signal that has been waited for a long time. Your lawyers agreed on Friday evening to save a total of around 172 million euros for the current season: 122 million in basic salaries and around 50 million in bonuses. The huge sum corresponds to 27 percent of the previous salary budget for the athletes at FC Barcelona. “The agreement, if it is ratified, is a milestone of great importance to straighten the current economic situation,” said a press release from the negotiating table.
At FC Barcelona, transfers are mainly made in two large tranches, once in summer and once in winter. If they put their signatures on the agreement, the players will now forego the January part – at least for the time being. While the 50 million bonuses will be paid over the next three years, the notification did not specify whether and in what form the basic salaries would also be paid later. Some players, including the German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, have agreed to extend their contracts in return for the current tee. But the formula does not seem sustainable for professionals like top earners Lionel Messi, who does not want to expand his contract, which will expire in 2021, so far.
From the club’s point of view, short-term relief is what counts for the time being. You could also say: survival. “Barcelona have to reduce player salaries in order to be able to end the season,” said league boss Javier Tebas most recently – while his organization slashed the upper salary limit for the Catalans from 671 to 383 million euros. For comparison: Real Madrid had to accept a downgrade from 641 to 469 million for the upper limits set individually based on the financial situation of the clubs in Spanish football. Where all clubs are suffering from the corona crisis, Barcelona is doing it even more – because like no other club it depends on ticketing and tourism, while at the same time it pays the highest salaries.
Last season, revenue collapsed by around 200 million euros – although only a third of the season was affected by the pandemic. The loss was 97 million euros, the gross debt rose to 820 million. This season, the club calculates a loss of around 300 million euros – and that on the optimistic assumption that the stadium will be occupied by 25 percent from February and 50 percent from May.
Koeman is the new figure of integration
For a long time, the players had been stubborn when it came to salaries. A loss of confidence culminated in their attitude, which even the resignation of the unloved President Josep Maria Bartomeu at the end of October could not immediately cure. The deadlines were broken several times in the previously initiated arbitration proceedings for the wage cuts, and extra rounds were announced again and again. Messi’s bad mood increased his intransigence and left the captain out as negotiator. If Barça is so desperate to save, he might ask himself – why had the club held him against his will that summer?
Instead of Messi, another club legend became an integration figure: the new coach Ronald Koeman. Although the pandemic tariff had already been applied in the summer, the former libero declared himself willing to make another waiver and communicated this to the team on the morning of the decisive day of negotiations during training without obligation. The numbers and words from the league also increased the pressure to reach an agreement. Had it failed to materialize, Barça would have had to unilaterally order cuts to save its solvency – with legally unpredictable consequences.
Thanks to the “white smoke” (“sport”) on Friday evening, the outlook is a little friendlier again, but the dark clouds are by no means dispelled. The association has hardly any reserves and is said to be in default with a number of suppliers. The swirling scenarios range from massive player sales to conversion into a sports stock corporation – the greatest horror vision for the proud members who are to elect a new club boss on January 24th.
Neymar? The money isn’t even enough for Depay
“Practically a situation of economic bankruptcy,” says Víctor Font, one of the favorites for the vote, of the status quo. Some contenders may dramatize the situation for tactical reasons – the less they will later be held responsible for tough measures. There is no doubt, however, that there are lean years ahead. Appeals for economic reorientation and a return to one’s own youth are therefore among the campaign hits. The fact that some candidacies publicly flirt with the obligations of players like Neymar or Erling Haaland, on the other hand, has almost something of real satire. Most recently, the money wasn’t even enough for the targeted transfers of central defender Eric García (Manchester City) or attacker Memphis Depay (Lyon) in the order of around ten million euros.
The candidates themselves do not know exactly which gaps they will find in the accounts if they are successful. In addition, they have to personally vouch for 15 percent of the budget with their shadow cabinet. The fact that, despite everything, up to ten groups want to apply for the presidency can be seen as reassuring news for the fans: Barça’s appeal remains unbroken.
