Barcelona’s latest financial lever generates revenue, but no immediate Fair Play relief – report | OneFootball

Barcelona returned to training this week with a notable change: the logo of the Democratic Republic of Congo now features on the back of their training kits, following a sponsorship agreement signed recently.

Valued at around €40 million over four seasons, the deal represents welcome new revenue for the club.

However, according to SPORT, in the short term, it cannot be used to register players or expand the wage bill, due to LaLiga’s strict financial control rules.

Why the income does not count yet

Deals such as this should raise Barça’s salary cap, since the league’s regulations include audiovisual rights, ticketing, competition income and also commercial income (advertising, sponsorship, etc.) used to calculate the Límite de Coste de Plantilla Deportiva (LCPD).

But the reality is more complex. Clubs are required to keep their budgets in balance, and spending on the squad cannot exceed what they generate.

Barcelona are battling to register their players again. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

Only once equilibrium is reached do new revenues have a direct effect on the cap. Until then, as La Liga sources confirmed to SPORT, any fresh income must first go towards reducing debt.

For now, Barça remain categorised as a “club in excess”. This means that until the accounts are balanced on a 1:1 ratio, every extra euro, whether from sponsorships, commercial contracts or ticket sales, cannot immediately be allocated to registering players.

The Catalans’ hope is that La Liga will soon approve revenues linked to VIP seats at the Spotify Camp Nou, which could ease the situation before the window closes.

A medium-term boost, not a quick fix

The DR Congo partnership is, therefore, more of a medium-term lifeline than a short-term solution.

Once Barça are back within the 1:1 framework, their LCPD will be recalculated immediately, allowing them to benefit fully from this new advertising income.

The key question is whether that point will be reached before the 1st of September.