At FC Barcelona all is right with the world again. The club handles one million transfer after the other, although it actually has no money. Barca are said to be in debt at €1.35bn. In order to be able to register new players for games in the Spanish Primera Division, the club must first scrape together 100 million euros, it was said recently.
From the point of view of those responsible for Barca, it should be peanuts, because the Catalans are still looking for new players. Even the name of Lionel Messi has recently been haunted by the media in connection with FC Barcelona. President Joan Laporta had said his story in Barcelona was not over yet. The Argentinian is currently employed by Paris St. Germain – and will probably remain so.
Coach Xavi considers a return of Messi, who has played for Barca for 20 years, to be “impossible”.
That almost sounds like a sense of reality. And Xavi needs that too. Because when trying to somehow make money loose, Barcelona does not seem to shy away from questionable measures. The Dutchman Frenkie de Jong, equipped with a long-term and well-paid contract, is said to forego half his salary so that he can stay. The 25-year-old midfielder was considered a candidate for sale, but did not want to switch to Manchester United.
“A club that spends a fortune on new players while not paying in full those they have under contract is immoral and against the law,” said former England international Gary Neville. And UEFA? Once introduced Financial Fair Play, a financial control system. It failed because it was repeatedly tricked by clubs Paris St. Germain or Manchester City.
So FC Barcelona has nothing to fear and can continue on their shopping spree. The money will come from somewhere.
