Barca revealed to be 442m Euros in debt.

[Esky]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/8859257.stm

Extent of Barcelona's debt revealed by fresh audit

A new audit into Barcelona's finances have revealed the club's debt is 442m euros (£369.5m) after a loss of more than 77m euros (£64.36m) last season.

The previous board, led by Joan Laporta, had announced the club was 11m euros in the black at the end of June.

But a new audit carried out by Deloitte for new president Sandro Rosell's team reveals a far less healthy scenario.

The news comes as Barca spokesman Toni Freixa said Arsenal are still refusing to negotiate the sale of Cesc Fabregas.

Fabregas has been the subject of a transfer saga which has run all summer, with departed Barca president Laporta and Rosell both left frustrated by Arsenal's tough stance.

Since having a 35m euro (£29m) bid turned down earlier this summer, Barca have made several attempts to speak to Arsenal, but Freixa says the Londoners are unwilling to budge.

"Arsenal don't want to sit down and negotiate with us. It's not a problem with the wishes of Cesc or of Barca - they simply don't want to negotiate," he said.

Fabregas, who still has five years to run on his Arsenal contract, has stated he would like to play for Barcelona, while Barca players such as Andres Iniesta, Xavi and David Villa have all publicly urged the 23-year-old to leave London for the Catalan giants this summer.

Still, along with Arsenal's unwillingness to enter negotiations, it remains uncertain whether Barcelona could afford what would almost certainly be a weighty fee for the Gunners playmaker.

The audit shows that Barca's costs in the 2009-10 season rose to £400m, with their income at £341.7m.

Barca also had to recently take out a loan of around £125m after falling behind with the payment of player wages at the end of June, while central defender Dymtro Chygrynskiy was hastily sold to Shakhtar Donetsk to raise much-needed funds for the club.

Nevertheless, Barca have already signed striker Villa this summer for £33.4m and are willing to spend as much or even more to bring Arsenal midfielder Fabregas to the Nou Camp, Rossell said earlier this month.
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Wonder if Platini or Blatter will chime in on this one?

[King Kev]

Maybe we should buy them and use them as our feeder club.

[CityGer]

Let's help that out.

Iniesta, Messi and Alves, £150Mil cash up front. Job done, everyone's a winner.

[craigmcfc]

Let's help that out.

Iniesta, Messi and Alves, £150Mil cash up front. Job done, everyone's a winner.

Give 'em Jo and Robinho too, do us both a favour

[Goaters 103]

So I am assuming that under Platini's new "financial fair play" rules, Barca along with other debt ridden clubs like Real Madrid and Man U will be banned from competing in european competition ..... ghmm, I wont hold my breath.

[john@staustell]

So I am assuming that under Platini's new "financial fair play" rules, Barca along with other debt ridden clubs like Real Madrid and Man U will be banned from competing in european competition ..... ghmm, I wont hold my breath.

I fancy it will only apply to English clubs mate.

We have already helped Barca out with the Touré deal! But i have a feeling we may just help them out again yet. If Torres wont come then we might yet go for Mr Ibrahimovic, who's wages Barcelona can't afford - 'That sort of transfer is not sustainable' according to Mr Pres last week. 250 grand a week though, then allow for our tax rules and it gets silly. At least we will pay less in the fee than they paid 12 months ago.

[Goaters 103]

So I am assuming that under Platini's new "financial fair play" rules, Barca along with other debt ridden clubs like Real Madrid and Man U will be banned from competing in european competition ..... ghmm, I wont hold my breath.

I fancy it will only apply to English clubs mate.

We have already helped Barca out with the Touré deal! But i have a feeling we may just help them out again yet. If Torres wont come then we might yet go for Mr Ibrahimovic, who's wages Barcelona can't afford - 'That sort of transfer is not sustainable' according to Mr Pres last week. 250 grand a week though, then allow for our tax rules and it gets silly. At least we will pay less in the fee than they paid 12 months ago.

Agree on that John, I think Zlatan is probably heading our way too.

[Ted Hughes]

So I am assuming that under Platini's new "financial fair play" rules, Barca along with other debt ridden clubs like Real Madrid and Man U will be banned from competing in european competition ..... ghmm, I wont hold my breath.

I fancy it will only apply to English clubs mate.

We have already helped Barca out with the Touré deal! But i have a feeling we may just help them out again yet. If Torres wont come then we might yet go for Mr Ibrahimovic, who's wages Barcelona can't afford - 'That sort of transfer is not sustainable' according to Mr Pres last week. 250 grand a week though, then allow for our tax rules and it gets silly. At least we will pay less in the fee than they paid 12 months ago.

Mancini said he was going for 'younger' players tother day though. 28 counts as oldish to me. Mind you Mancini seems to use the 'drunk Grandad at Christmas' method when talking to the media.

[john@staustell]

So I am assuming that under Platini's new "financial fair play" rules, Barca along with other debt ridden clubs like Real Madrid and Man U will be banned from competing in european competition ..... ghmm, I wont hold my breath.

I fancy it will only apply to English clubs mate.

We have already helped Barca out with the Touré deal! But i have a feeling we may just help them out again yet. If Torres wont come then we might yet go for Mr Ibrahimovic, who's wages Barcelona can't afford - 'That sort of transfer is not sustainable' according to Mr Pres last week. 250 grand a week though, then allow for our tax rules and it gets silly. At least we will pay less in the fee than they paid 12 months ago.

Mancini said he was going for 'younger' players tother day though. 28 counts as oldish to me. Mind you Mancini seems to use the 'drunk Grandad at Christmas' method when talking to the media.

28 counted as oldish to me once. Not now though!

I reckon Ibra falls in the show-stopper category (whether people like him or not) so the club would go for him anyway.

I would say Mancini directly lies at press conferences as well!! Fun fooling the press though.

[Ted Hughes]

So I am assuming that under Platini's new "financial fair play" rules, Barca along with other debt ridden clubs like Real Madrid and Man U will be banned from competing in european competition ..... ghmm, I wont hold my breath.

I fancy it will only apply to English clubs mate.

We have already helped Barca out with the Touré deal! But i have a feeling we may just help them out again yet. If Torres wont come then we might yet go for Mr Ibrahimovic, who's wages Barcelona can't afford - 'That sort of transfer is not sustainable' according to Mr Pres last week. 250 grand a week though, then allow for our tax rules and it gets silly. At least we will pay less in the fee than they paid 12 months ago.

Mancini said he was going for 'younger' players tother day though. 28 counts as oldish to me. Mind you Mancini seems to use the 'drunk Grandad at Christmas' method when talking to the media.

28 counted as oldish to me once. Not now though!

I reckon Ibra falls in the show-stopper category (whether people like him or not) so the club would go for him anyway.

I would say Mancini directly lies at press conferences as well!! Fun fooling the press though.

It takes some getting used to because some of the things he says are actually true! I thought he was taking the piss about Balotelli initially but now I know it's actually true, I've gone from very apprehensive to really really excited about the signing. Perhaps I'll do the same about Ibra but I'm deffo at the apprehensive stage with that one at the moment!

[Wooders]

why is it that all of these massive clubs are so heavily in debt ? And here we are in a situation where we'll never be in debt, injecting much needed cash into the game but we're the ones spoiling football?? No way a clubs the size and popularity of Barca, Man Utd and Liverpool should be so heavily in the red, thats the shit that platini and fifa should be investigating

[brite blu sky]

why is it that all of these massive clubs are so heavily in debt ? And here we are in a situation where we'll never be in debt, injecting much needed cash into the game but we're the ones spoiling football?? No way a clubs the size and popularity of Barca, Man Utd and Liverpool should be so heavily in the red, thats the shit that platini and fifa should be investigating

obviously i dont know anymore than anyone else, but it is fairly true to say you can always spend money. One of the problems of say recent years is that these clubs have good incomes and revenue streams that they and banks know are set for years to come, so they can lend large amounts on the back of it. Then it is just a case of.. well a little bit more wont harm.. a little bit more.. perhaps the difference now is that banks are not prepared to let them lend just to pay their debts.. so the game stops and someone has to start counting the real debt. I would say it is the financial crisis working its way through the system.. comes late to institutions like giant football clubs cos they live more in a dreamworld.