Barcelona has maintained an equally high debt after two years under Laporta

Soccereco, Staff Writer

Published: 10:48, 23 Jun 2023

Barcelona has been unable to reduce its massive debt over the past two years. The current president, Joan Laporta, took office just over two years ago, but at the moment, the debt is just as high as it was back then.

This was announced by the vice-president of economic affairs within the club, Eduard Romeu, in response to recent claims made by Victor Font, former presidential candidate at Barcelona. Font asserted that the club has only regressed financially under Laporta's leadership and demanded more transparency from him.

During a press conference, Romeu addressed these statements and confirmed that Barcelona's current debt amounts to 1.35 billion euros, the same as when Laporta took over. While this debunked Font's claims, it simultaneously confirmed that the Catalan club is still in a precarious financial situation.

According to Romeu, the salary costs have indeed decreased in recent years, from 708 million euros to 528 million euros. Additionally, Laporta inherited a backlog of salary payments amounting to 389 million euros from former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, of which only seventy million euros remain. However, Barcelona has also made significant investments, such as in the stadium and player materials.