Reports from Spanish media reveal FC Barcelona set to resolve outstanding payments owed to its former stars
Date
10/13/2024 4:52:39 AM
(MENAFN) Recent reports from Spanish media have revealed that FC Barcelona is set to resolve outstanding payments owed to its former stars, including Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, by the end of the current season. This commitment comes at a time when the club continues to face significant financial challenges. Messi, who now plays for Inter Miami, left Barcelona in the summer of 2021 after a remarkable tenure, subsequently playing for Paris Saint-Germain before joining Major League Soccer.
Following Messi's exit, Barcelona has been gradually addressing the deferred salaries owed to him and his former teammates. These deferrals originated during the COVID-19 pandemic in the 2020-2021 season when players voluntarily agreed to a temporary salary cut to help the club manage its financial hardships.
According to the Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo," Barcelona's plan to finalize the payment of all delayed salaries for Messi, Busquets, and Alba by season's end is seen as a vital move to relieve some of the financial pressure on the club's management. While settling these debts will not greatly improve Barcelona's financial flexibility in the short term—since the owed salaries are already included in the club's 2021 budget—it will still limit the club's operational capacity in the transfer market.
During the season impacted by the pandemic, Barcelona reported staggering losses of approximately 481 million euros. In March 2020, Messi publicly stated that he and his teammates had agreed to cut their salaries by 70% to ensure that other staff members at the club could receive their full compensation during the crisis.
In an effort to mitigate its financial issues, Barcelona announced last year that it would activate a third economic lever, which entailed selling 24.5% of the club's audiovisual production studios to the company "Sucius" for 100 million euros. This strategic move is part of a broader initiative aimed at steering the club out of its economic troubles and restoring financial health.
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