Barcelona Women director defends departures of first-team players amid financial issues | OneFootball

Barcelona Women director Xavi O’Callaghan has defended the departures of six senior players from the women’s team this summer.

The club, set to start the new season in three weeks, is left with only 17 first-team players.

Swedish winger Fridolina Rolfo, who played in the Champions League against Arsenal, has moved to Manchester United on a free transfer.

Rolfo and Ellie Roebuck – who has since joined Aston Villa – agreed with Barcelona to terminate their contracts early.

Bruna Vilamala has joined Club America in Mexico, and Martina Fernandez has signed for Everton.

Norwegian international Ingrid Engen chose not to renew her contract and has instead joined Lyon. Defender Jana Fernandez has also departed for the London City Lionesses, adding to the list of losses.

What did the Barcelona director say about recent departures?

Speaking to reporters, Barcelona Women director Xavi O’Callaghan defended the recent departures, despite the drop in the squad size.

Barcelona’s only signing this summer has been Laia Aleixandri from Manchester City on a free transfer.

O’Callaghan said: “The women’s team has raised its wage bill by €1M (£864,000), so the money is there, but the market is inflated.

“To keep the key players, you need to spend more, which means relying on the academy and carefully deciding where to invest.”

His comments hint that Barcelona rely on academy squad players more during the upcoming campaign.

Financial issues at Barcelona contribute to departures

The departures reflect the wider financial strain across the club. Spanish media have reported that the women’s team is facing a deficit of around one million euros, while Barcelona’s overall wage bill remains dominated by the men’s side.

The issue is complicated by La Liga’s financial fair play rules, which account for the costs of the men’s, women’s and youth teams together. This means any deal for a women’s player has a knock-on effect on the men’s budget.

Earlier this summer, Barcelona requested changes to La Liga’s financial rules, asking for the budgets of the women’s and youth teams to be separated from the men’s. The league, however, has so far stood firm on its current system, which continues to link all spending together.

There are concerns that the summer departures may not be the last as the club looks to balance their accounts.

Several senior players are approaching the end of their contracts next year, leaving the possibility of more exits if renewals are not agreed.

When does the Spanish season start?

Despite the financial strain, Barcelona Women remain one of Europe’s leading sides. They won the Spanish league last season and reached the Champions League final, where they lost to Arsenal.

The team also provided the backbone of Spain’s Euro 2025 squad, with stars such as Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas and Irene Paredes leading the way.

Coach Pere Romeu now faces the challenge of guiding a reduced squad into the new Liga F season, beginning with their opener against Alhama on August 30.