The situation
The Barca of Xavi and the levers, mortally wounded in the Champions League in October after selling club assets for 865 million and signing for 160. The club would lose 20.2 million euros budgeted in the Champions League , although that is the least of it . He could recover 14.9 million in the Europa League. The thick stick is the sports one and the one of prestige. “We have sent a message to the world,” Jordi Cruyff surprisingly said after losing 2-0 in Munich in a stunning post-match statement after a loss to Bayern. “Let everyone get ready that we have returned,” Laporta proclaimed months before , on January 3, two days after announcing “a new stage that no longer prolongs the degradation of a glorious era.” Laporta also said this to the members on Sunday at the Assembly: “We have saved Barca.” But at the moment what there is at Barça is a project that was born touched, because it was based on immediate sporting excellence, the titles that gave way to the famous virtuous circle that Laporta always boasted of in his first term (investment-titles-economic return ). And what there is is a team mortally wounded in the Champions League in October. It’s not that he hasn’t reached the round of 16. It is possible that he will not even reach the last day with options. A disaster for a club that has mortgaged its assets precisely for the opposite to happen. Barça has sold properties worth 865 million euros to, among other things, invest 160 million euros in signings (Raphinha, Koundé, Lewandowski, Pablo Torre)if the footballers who arrived free are not counted (Kessié and Christensen) and who of course earn a great deal; and the renewals of Dembélé, Araújo, Sergi Roberto or Gavi, who come to join those of Ansu and Pedri last season. Basically, a disaster that the director of football, Mateu Alemany , has not even been able to solve , giving way to burdensome chips like Piqué or Alba. Without a doubt, the current leaders of Barça can be thankful that the game against Inter was played three days after the Assembly. If not, it wouldn’t have been a raft of oil or, at least, maybe Laporta wouldn’t have said that “we’ve saved the club”.
The details
It should be remembered, although it was already discussed in these pages last week after the fall in Milan, Barca is about to lose the option of entering up to 52.7 million euros according to the prizes awarded by UEFA in the competition (9.6 million for going to the round of 16, 10.6 for being in the quarterfinals, 12.5 for reaching the semifinals, 15.5 for being a finalist and 4.5 for the champion). For a team that has made a spectacular investment (45 million for Lewandowski, 50 more variables for Koundé and 58 million for Raphinha), it is a very hard blow. The 20.2 million euros to reach the quarterfinals were, moreover, budgeted.Barça will only be able to recover them in part if they win the Europa League, where the prize, if they are champions, amounts to 14.9 million euros, which can go up to 4.5 million more if they later win the European Super Cup.