The Barcelona administration holds an optimistic outlook regarding adhering to this season’s budget, a critical step towards achieving the 1:1 rule.
The president of Barça, Joan Laporta, explained a few weeks ago in an interview on RAC 1 that it is essential for the organization to adhere to the budget approved for this season by the Assembly of Compromisarios last October, which projected revenues of 859 million euros, with profits after taxes of eleven million.
“If we meet the budget, it will mark the end of the darkest period in Barça’s history,” said Laporta. “The budget is very ambitious, but the work being done is excellent. We are on a very good path,” he continued. Making profits, without applying any leverage, is crucial to operate under the 1-1 rule in the upcoming transfer market, as explained by the club president himself in the same interview. Indeed, with almost four months left until the end of the fiscal year, the board is optimistic about meeting the mentioned budget.
According to Ferran Correas from SPORT, in the expenditure section, estimated at around 832 million according to the data presented to the compromisarios, there is currently a minimal deviation of about twelve million euros, primarily due to the arrivals this winter transfer window of Vitor Roque and the renewal of Xavi and the entire first-team staff, which was finalized last September. As for the revenue section, estimated at 859 million, according to current data, there is a deviation of just 15 million euros. Ticket sales at Montjuïc have not met expectations, nor have the revenues. Therefore, at this point in the season, the deficit in this regard stands at around twenty million euros. However, other items, such as sales in the club’s stores, are above expectations.
At Barça, they are confident that these minimal deviations in both revenue and expenditure will be corrected in the remaining four months of the season. For example, eliminating Napoli and reaching the Champions League quarter-finals will lead to significant ticket sales at Montjuïc for that tie. It is also expected that in the final months of the season, there will be a higher influx of tourists to both the first-team matches and the museum. Additionally, it is not ruled out that Xavi’s team will play some friendly matches before the end of the season, as they did in December in Dallas, matches that bring in between three and four million euros for the club.
Furthermore, it is still expected that new contracts will be signed from the club’s commercial area, adding to those already acquired, which have made this area one of the club’s driving forces. All of these factors will help meet the budget for this season and take an important step towards returning to the 1-1 rule. However, this should not be the only step by the club to address its issues with La Liga’s financial fair play. The famous 40 million from Libero must also arrive. Here, everything is more complicated, although efforts are ongoing to secure their arrival.
