Barcelona President Joan Laporta – ‘We’ll get to the 1:1 rule by the January transfer window’

Barcelona President Joan Laporta has again remained confident that Barcelona will move back within their salary limit and leave behind La Liga’s spending restrictions by the January transfer window. Despite it being leaked that a new sponsorship deal with Nike was close, Laporta says they chose not to sign it, despite knowing it would take them back within their limit.

He explained in a press conference that the club had the opportunity to sign off on a new kit sponsorship deal with Nike, which would not only have been the largest in the game, but also return them to within their salary limit. Laporta was keen not to take a deal at a lower rate than was possible though.

“All clubs are having difficulties. We will reach 1-1, but the sporting tempo does not always coincide with the economic tempo. We are a club that generates more money than it spends, with important investments and the best contracts on the market. We could have been at 1-1 this summer. It was easy to say that it was a good contract, but we have thought that there is still room for improvement.”

“We will always be at 1-1, but it would always be welcome if LaLiga made it more flexible without leaving aside economic control. They have been very strict with the rule, it could be more flexible. It would help all the clubs, but it’s important they have it. La Liga is doing a good thing with the controls.”

During the summer Barcelona announced that they had reached an agreement with US logistics, services and catering firm Aramark, who are also to supply the renovated Camp Nou in a separate contract, for them to buy a percentage of their technology wing Barca Vision.

“Aramark’s impact on Barca Vision is 15 million, which LaLiga has accounted for us. We have accepted it. Now we have a well-structured shareholding and we have the desire to recover this. All the technological and audiovisual businesses will generate a lot of income for the club. We are working on a more ambitious budget. From the €40m from Libero, a company listed on the Frankfurt market and that had prestigious professionals, there was a non-payment that we wanted to compensate. I am convinced that we can meet the figures of what was planned.”

He was also asked whether at any pointed they had the green light from Nico Williams, but were unable to do the deal due to their financial situation.

“There are many players who want to come to Barca, we know this from their agents, but they know that the club is in a process of completing the economic recovery. Our work is recognized by LaLiga. The president of LaLiga has praised the reduction of the salary bill of around €170-180 million. Everyone you can imagine wants to come to Barca.

In addition to the new deal with Nike, Barcelona are also negotiating to sell sponsorship on their shorts. Laporta noted that an agreement in principle had been reached, but they are finalising the details of that deal.

The Barcelona president was pushed on the finances though, and asked why the agreement with Aramark had contributed so little to their salary limit.

“There was a partner who had put in €10m, but LaLiga did not count it. We didn’t reach €25m because we had to make €30m. It was a technical reason. I am happy to have an agreement with Aramark that will help us comply with what was planned in Barca Vision.”

Laporta: "The contract with Nike will be the best in the world of football. We could have signed it in the summer but we didn't rush it."

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) September 3, 2024

Laporta went on to explain that Barcelona needed to either compensate the Barca Vision payments and provide a €20m bank guarantee from the board in order to move back within their salary limit, or put pen to paper on the Nike deal. Both would put them back in the black.

“With the increase in the kit contract we would have already fulfilled it, without needing Barca Vision. If not, if we do Barca Vision we would already have the savings we have made with the players. We would need a bank guarantee of €20m from us. From Barca Vision there is a debt of €40m, which we have compensated a part of with Aramark. On September 15 we have to pay one of the partners and at the end of the season we also have to be prepared with alternatives. With that increase in income we would already be at 1-1 because we would comply with the payment obligations of Barca Vision.”

The Blaugrana have been operating with restrictions due to the salary limit for the past three seasons, with the exception of the transfer window shortly after 49.9% of Barca Vision was sold. Laporta said they would be open for business in the January transfer window though.

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