There is a lot of joke about the decline of FC Barcelona. None of the once feared MSN storm of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez is there. Instead, Martin Braithwaite, Luuk de Jong and Memphis Depay are now in the squad. Certainly no improvement in terms of sport, but the Barça bosses have achieved a lot financially this summer.
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The ‘Marca’ does the math: Regardless of Messi’s departure, the Blaugrana have cut salaries by a whopping 145 million euros. A top earner like Antoine Griezmann was given up, and a few other professionals with high-value contracts agreed to cut their salaries. Including La Pulga, the Spanish top club has even reduced spending by 283 million euros.
No alternative savings
The cash booth was also glossed over with numerous sales. Players like Junior Firpo (Leeds United), Ilaix Moriba (RB Leipzig) and Emerson (Tottenham Hotspur) left the Camp Nou, and Barça took in a total of 84 million euros.
The financial consolidation is far from over in view of more than a billion euros in debt. But a first step has been taken, even if it hurt.
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