October 3, (THEWILL) – Spanish giants Barcelona are still facing reduced player registration capacity in La Liga this season, stemming from financial uncertainty surrounding last summer’s high-profile sale of a 49% stake in Barca Studios.
The deal, one of Barcelona’s storied “economic levers” to ease financial pressure, saw the club sell off part of its audiovisual arm for €200m, as THEWILL reported at the time. However, La Liga has since confirmed Barcelona only received an initial €20m payment, leaving €60m outstanding from the first instalment.
Barcelona are also owed an additional €60m in each of the next two summers as part of the agreement. The unpaid balance recently forced La Liga to cut Barcelona’s registration allowance, which remains lower today.
The cuts caused delays in registering big-name summer arrivals like Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo until deadline day, despite joining weeks earlier. The club’s purported financial recovery this year seemingly contrasts with the unpaid Studios deal obligations.
La Liga has defended closely, scrutinising and auditing Barcelona’s leveraging practices, but regulations forced it to act once aware of the unpaid balance. Barcelona continues pushing its recovery, but lingering registration limits highlight lingering financial uncertainties.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
