Explaining why Barcelona did not reach the 1:1 rule during the summer | OneFootball

Barcelona ended the summer transfer window having tackled almost every major issue in their squad.

From securing new signings to strengthening key positions, the club seemed to have done its job on the sporting front.

But as has often been the case in recent years, the real challenge was not just about bringing in players – it was about registering them in time.

This summer, the Blaugrana had to look at every possible route to register their signings and young academy players.

In the end, they managed to register most of them thanks to several player exits. However, Roony Bardghji was left unregistered in the first team, raising questions about why the club still faces such hurdles when it comes to financial fair play.

The simple reason is that Barcelona have not yet been able to fully return to the 1:1 rule, which allows a club to spend every euro it earns.

Understanding why this didn’t happen requires looking at the financial operations carried out over the past year.

Why have Barcelona not returned to the 1:1 rule

One of the main objectives of the club during the summer was to restore Barcelona’s ability to operate under the 1:1 rule.

Barcelona briefly returned to the 1:1 rule earlier this year. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

This rule briefly returned at the start of 2025 thanks to a financial operation where Barça handed over the exploitation rights of 475 VIP seats at the Spotify Camp Nou to Fortia Advisor Limited and New Era Visionary Group.

In exchange, the club was set to receive €100 million. The club expected the arrangement to permanently bring them back under the 1:1 rule.

Unfortunately, things did not go as smoothly as planned.

When the deal was signed, Barça immediately received €30 million from Fortia Advisor Limited and another €28 million from New Era Visionary Group.

That added up to €58 million, while the remaining €42 million was placed under a payment schedule.

Half of that was expected to arrive in September 2025, with the rest scheduled for payment before the end of the 2025-26 financial year.

The club’s auditors, Crowe Spain, only validated the €58 million already received. They did not account for the rest of the promised €42 million, which meant Barcelona’s books did not reflect the full €100 million income.

As a result, the club was unable to operate under the 1:1 rule beyond a short three-month period.

What happens next for Barcelona

Barcelona are confident that the money owed will arrive as per the agreement.

Barcelona continue to be hopeful. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

“The club indicates that there will be no problem in receiving the first part of the amount owed and that they are working to have guarantees of the payment of the second instalment,” sources from within the board have assured.

Once the pending €42 million is paid and validated, Barcelona expect to be back under the 1:1 rule.

This would allow the club to operate normally in future transfer markets, without having to depend on late player exits or complex financial manoeuvres.

For now, however, the club is stuck in a complicated situation. Reinforcements have arrived, but the financial framework needed to fully integrate them has not yet been achieved.

The hope within the club is that once the payments are secured and officially recognised, Barcelona will no longer face the same headaches in registering new players.

Until then, though, the Blaugrana will continue to walk a fine line between their on-field goals and off-field financial struggles.