Barcelona executive relaxed over club’s Fair Play situation – ‘We are calm’ | OneFootball

Barcelona’s corporate director, Manel del Rio, has shared a confident and measured view on the club’s ongoing efforts to meet La Liga’s 1:1 rule.

It must be noted that this financial regulation would allow the club to reinvest what it saves or earns directly into player wages and transfers, a crucial step in Barça’s bid to regain full control over its squad planning.

To make this a reality, Barcelona must secure approval for a €100 million operation involving 475 VIP seats at the new Spotify Camp Nou, targeted to be ready by August 10 during the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Como.

This revenue is essential and must be validated by the consulting firm Crowe Global before La Liga gives its final approval.

There is much more than that

Alongside this, several important sporting decisions must also fall into place. These include negotiating a new contract with Frenkie de Jong, finalising more departures, particularly of Inaki Pena and Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Barcelona have several operations to take care of. (Photo by Linnea Rheborg/Getty Images)

Despite the pressure, Del Rio insisted there’s no panic inside the club. “We’re working and staying calm,” he said, reassuring fans that all efforts are focused and well under control.

Del Rio also discussed the recent changes to the Espai Barça loan structure, one of the most significant financial projects in the club’s history.

He explained that the club’s initial loan plan carried considerable risk in 2028. “The risk to which it could be exposed in 2028 was significant, and the strategy was to minimise it,” he said.

According to AS, to counter this, Barça have now spread the repayment terms more strategically.

Under the revised structure, the club will pay €208 million in the next five years, followed by €500.2 million over the subsequent six to nine years, and €786.8 million from 2035 onward. Notably, the final debt period includes a lump sum of €424 million.

Barcelona project that annual revenue from the Espai Barça initiative will reach €247 million.

These earnings are expected to come from various sources, like 22% from ticketing and catering, 15% from hosting events and meetings, 24% from Hospitality (VIP boxes), another 15% from the club museum, and 24% from sponsorship deals.