Barcelona president travels to the Middle East looking for new sponsors | OneFootball

Barcelona returned to the financial 1:1 rule earlier this year, marking the symbolic end of their financial crisis. However, it is clear that the work is far from done.

It took Joan Laporta some last-minute sales of the VIP boxes of the new Spotify Camp Nou to ensure that Barcelona returned to the 1:1 rule.

Two companies based in the Middle East were involved as investors and pumped in a cumulative of €100 million for the boxes.

While Barcelona did manage to register the new contracts of Pedri, Gavi, Pau Cubarsi and Ronald Araujo after the development, others such as Inigo Martinez’s have been placed on hold owing to a lack of space on the payroll.

Looking for investors

As relayed in a recent update by MARCA, Barcelona president Joan Laporta has travelled to the Middle East this week looking for more funds to pump into the club coffers in exchange for the remaining VIP boxes available.

He has met with several parties interested in purchasing the rights on offer and can ensure that the club stay within the 1:1 rule if he manages to bring the deals to fruition.

Laporta in the Middle East in search of fresh revenue. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

Notably, the outlet brings to light that Laporta is not only out there selling VIP boxes but several other types of sponsorships as well. The objective is simply to bring in funds and improve the FFP situation.

While the president is indeed running from pillar to post to bring in funds, it is clear that Barcelona are not worried in any capacity over the deals completed or a possible defaulting of promised payments.

After all, one of the two companies who purchased the VIP boxes in December paid the entire €30 million promised up front while the second investor paid €28 million of the €70 million promised.

Should they fail to pay the remaining sum, Barcelona will keep the €28 million paid and be entitled to sell the VIP boxes again, thus ensuring security over the payments.

The Blaugrana’s 1:1 situation is thus largely safeguarded, and Laporta’s current objective in the Middle East is only to improve it beyond what it already is.

Moreover, there is a sense of security over the situation of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor despite La Liga’s efforts to derail them.