Barcelona is having a great season on the field, the championship in La Liga can hardly escape Xavi’s team. Outside the lines, dark clouds continue to gather over Camp Nou. The Catalans rushed on Thursday to deny reports that another skeleton had fallen out of the closet.
Barcelona denies next financial slump
El Confidencial, a Spanish news site, reported that the club has been fined €15.7 million by the Spanish tax authorities after an investigation revealed several flaws. The club would have tampered with company cars, would not have declared the payment of charter flights and would not have properly entered the severance premiums for Alex Song and Arda Turan. All that would result in a million-dollar fine.
Barcelona was quick to undermine the article. A statement appeared on the club website a few hours after the article was published. The club argues that the tax authorities have indeed investigated the named cases and declared Barcelona innocent. There would also be a penalty, but it would be about payments to players’ agents and the club says it has appealed.
Busquets departure is ‘a start’
Then there was also news this week that is certainly positive from a financial point of view: Sergio Busquets disappears from the payroll. Estimates of the club icon’s salary vary considerably, but it is clear that his departure will result in significant savings. In Mundo Deportivo, financial director Eduard Romeu responds, he is convinced that La Liga will be satisfied with the efforts made to cut costs.
In total, Camp Nou had to be remediated for two hundred million euros. Romeu thinks enough has happened. “We are close to completing the plan we presented. The savings also need to factor in the fact that we have an increase in revenue. And we have to keep going for a while,” Romeu announced. “I think they’re going to give the green light.”
La Liga boss Javier Tebas has also spoken out once again about the Blaugrana ‘s club fund. He revealed, “If Barcelona wants to bring back Lionel Messi, Busquets’ departure is the first step of a long road.” A return seems a long way off for now.
