The situation at Barcelona

[john@staustell]

Elperiodico.com de Catalunya gives the following short piece on Barcelona, which is quite interesting if you think about the potential for City pickings. The staggering thing is that, given that they're completely fucked, they have €50M 'for new signings!

http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/ ... 8331.shtml

The Barcelona financial director, Xavier Faus, has admitted today that the club is passing through 'a delicate economic situation'. With regard to this, he has explained that the €155M credit signed yesterday with 10 banks will serve to relieve the financial position in the club's treasury.

The club has had to guarantee the loan against the members' ticketing revenues for the next 2 seasons, and is forecast to be returned in 5 years time, at a cost of €30M.

Faus has assured that the club has 50 million euros for new signings, which can come about thanks to the income from the sale of Touré (30 million) and Chigrinsky (15). With regard to this he confirmed that El City yesterday paid the first €15M for the signing of the Ivorian.

The treasurer has explained that the club must 'put a brake on sporting expenses' right now, and that the objective is to achieve €50M surplus in the next 6 seasons.

The Barcelona director has also classified as 'unsustainable' the signing of Ibrahimovic carried out last year.


El responsable económico del Barça, Xavier Faus, ha admitido hoy que el club pasa por "una situación económica delicada". En este sentido, ha explicado que el crédito sindicado de 155 millones firmado ayer con 10 entidades bancarias servirá para aliviar la tensión en la tesorería.


El club ha tenido que avalar el crédito con los ingresos de los abonos de los socios de los próximos dos años y tiene previsto devolverlo en cinco años, a razón de 30 millones por ejercicio.

Fraus ha asegurado que el club dispone de 50 millones para hacer nuevos fichajes, unas incorporaciones que podrán llevarse a cabo gracias a los ingresos por las ventas de Touré (30 millones) y Chigrinskiy (15). En este sentido, ha confirmado que el Manchester City abonó ayer los primeros 15 millones por la incorporación del centrocampista marfileño.

El responsable económico del Barça ha explicado que el club debe "frenar los gastos deportivos" de la actualidad y que el objetivo es lograr unos 50 millones anuales de beneficios en los próximos seis ejercicios.

El dirigente azulgrana también ha calificado de "insostenible" el fichaje de Ibrahimovic llevado a cabo la temporada pasada

[Mike J]

i love barca as a club but they made some very silly signings last year. that chgynknvkdfvnkski was an absolute disaster and the deal for ibra was insanity imo. barca want cesc for £30m dont they... surely in todays market is is worth 50m +. barca wont get him imo, unless they flog us ibra and maybe sell someone like alves.

[Goaters 103]

So effectively they are fuct financially, stoney broke, and have robbed peter to pay paul, and yet will still spend money they haven't got on players they can't afford!?

And yet, its us, with money we do have, that are "ruining football" whilst clubs like Barca and Real use borrowed money all the time and run up their actual debt - you couldn't make it up. Barca being in debt is quite good as Platini would never have the cojones to risk banning them for financials.

[john@staustell]

Absolutely right guys - so why should Ibra think about leaving unless someone matches his 250 grand a week? So City - supposedly ruining football - are put in an impossible position by Barcelona because of their own wages madness. Barcelona can't afford to subsidise his transfer by paying him off in lieu of reduced wages or something.

What a cock up.

[Bingo Lewis]

Anyone else think we should offer them £40m for Xavi?

[Ted Hughes]

They could solve it all by selling us Messi.

[Dronny]

They could solve it all by selling us Messi.

Ha ha ha never,.........

[Goaters 103]

Anyone else think we should offer them £40m for Xavi?

Not at Xavi's age Bingo, Iniesta or Messi are the guys we'd want. Joint deal for £100m then eh Barca?

[ashton287]

This is all the sheiks evil master plan. He buys us and spends stupid money on players and in doing so forces up costs for everyone else, soon enough the biggest clubs in the world cant afford players anymore and the transfer market is just us saying "i'll have him and him and him OH AND THAT ONE THERE ASWELL". Or thats what i want to beleive anyway.

[Ted Hughes]

Anyone else think we should offer them £40m for Xavi?

Not at Xavi's age Bingo, Iniesta or Messi are the guys we'd want. Joint deal for £100m then eh Barca?

They'd want £200M for Messi & what's more I bet we'd pay it if they even hinted they'd sell.

If they're in such shit you'd think they'd be open to offers for one or two older or non essential players. Alvez may be a possible as they could get along fine without him, he's good but they can function perfectly well when he's not playing..

Xavi or Ibra maybe.

[Bingo Lewis]

Anyone else think we should offer them £40m for Xavi?

Not at Xavi's age Bingo, Iniesta or Messi are the guys we'd want. Joint deal for £100m then eh Barca?

They wouldn't sell Messi or Iniesta at all though. They'd sell Xavi, as Fabregas is a direct replacement, plus a lot younger.
Xavi is good for a few more years, and with money being no object for us, we should go for it. Plus, he'd attract more top players to us.

[john@staustell]

Anyone else think we should offer them £40m for Xavi?

Not at Xavi's age Bingo, Iniesta or Messi are the guys we'd want. Joint deal for £100m then eh Barca?

They wouldn't sell Messi or Iniesta at all though. They'd sell Xavi, as Fabregas is a direct replacement, plus a lot younger.
Xavi is good for a few more years, and with money being no object for us, we should go for it. Plus, he'd attract more top players to us.

All the talk though is about them being 1 down by losing Yaya Touré. Fabregas is supposed to 'replace' him numbers-wise, although obviously they are somewhat different.

If we take anyone else from them it will be Ibrahimovic. The rumoured 'show-stopper'? Maybe not. Cant help thinking we wont be going near him.