Barcelona Needs $750M Cash Injection

FC Barcelona is seeking approval for a cash injection of up to $750 million. 

The fresh capital has been deemed necessary to alleviate the La Liga soccer club’s recent financial woes. In March 2021, Barcelona was technically bankrupt, and three months later the club borrowed $605 million from Goldman Sachs. 

In October 2021, Barcelona reported $1.56 billion in debt.

The investment would also allow Barcelona to reshape its roster during the player transfer window, as it currently has a spending cap of -$153 million — the only negative limit in La Liga. 

Barcelona could receive the money by selling future media rights and a minority stake in its Barca Licensing & Merchandising subsidiary. 

• The club is willing to offload up to a 49.9% stake in its BLM business.
• A sale of the stake could provide Barcelona with $214 million in cash.
• It is also asking permission to sell up to 25% of its media rights revenue.
• The club’s media rights deals could fetch as much as $536 million. 

Whether or not Barcelona can follow through with its plan will depend on a vote by club members during an assembly hearing on June 16.

Future Spending 

Barcelona’s financial uncertainty didn’t stop members of the club from voting to renovate the 64-year-old Camp Nou with up to $1.69 billion in funding last December.

The club claims the renovations could generate $225.7 million a year through hospitality, VIP boxes, catering, ticketing, sponsorship, and naming rights, as well as meetings and events.