Barcelona has faced a significant blow to its financial plans after La Liga ruled that a €100 million sale tied to the leasing of 475 VIP seats at the renovated Camp Nou would not be included in the club’s financial accounts. The deal, which was initially expected to help register players Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, has now been excluded from Barcelona’s salary cap calculations.
The VIP seat lease deal, intended to secure long-term revenue for the club, has been clouded by doubts about its legitimacy. While Forta Advisors and New Era Visionary Group have already paid €57 million of the agreed amount, La Liga has decided to disregard this revenue in Barcelona’s salary cap, thus lowering the club’s financial flexibility.
Impact on Registration and Transfer Plans
This exclusion comes at a time when Barcelona is in urgent need of registration for new signings, specifically Olmo and Victor, with La Liga’s decision potentially keeping both players sidelined for the rest of the season. The High Sports Committee (CSD) is set to rule on the registration of the two players, and should it rule against Barcelona, their participation could be halted for the duration of the campaign.
Furthermore, the financial blow is expected to complicate Barcelona’s summer transfer plans and could influence the ongoing legal challenges the club is facing. The exclusion of the VIP seat deal also puts pressure on President Joan Laporta, who has vowed to respond to La Liga’s decision, accusing the league of attacking the club’s interests.
Laporta’s Furious Response
In a passionate outburst, Laporta told reporters: “We will respond back to La Liga. They want to attack our interests. La Liga approved signings of Pau Victor and Olmo, and now they’ve changed their minds. Why? Did they do a bad job in the first place when they approved the operations? We’re playing a key match tonight, and La Liga is communicating this morning. Strange! They can’t beat us on the pitch, so they act off it.”
What’s Next for Barcelona?
The Catalan giants are set to return to La Liga action on Saturday, April 5, where they will face an in-form Real Betis after securing a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg.
