FC Barcelona have spent over $150 million in transfers this summer. The staggering number is not the issue here. The problem is that the Spanish giants spent this much money while being in over $1 billion in debt.
In the world of football, or soccer, there is a set of regulations called the Financial Fair Play rules. The main goal of which is to make sure clubs are not spending more than they make. With the information provided above, the fact that FC Barcelona have not faced any consequences or fines may be something of a head-scratcher. The decision to not punish the club was made by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) on Sept. 2.
The actions of FC Barcelona are a disgrace to the integrity of the game of soccer across the globe. Throughout the summer, reports flooded in of the club activating “economic levers” that allowed them to spend as much as they did. One such “lever” saw FC Barcelona sell 25% of their private television rights, which brought in about $100 million immediately. Another, and perhaps the most astounding, lever saw the club sell 49.9% of their licensing and merchandising company, Barca Licensing and Merchandising (BLM), that netted the club around $300 million.
The money brought in by the club, while may be legally sound, should in no way be. There have only been a few circumstances in the history of the beautiful game in which a team has found themselves so deeply in debt. In each of those circumstances, punishments have been harsh. Possibly the most famous example of this in recent history must be the relegation of Italian club Parma. In 2015, Parma declared bankruptcy after being over $75 million in debt. Not $1 billion, but a mere $75 million. As a result, Parma were relegated, forced to drop leagues, not once, not twice, but four times. Parma were relegated so far, they were no longer considered “professional” and labeled an “amateur” club.
However, we do not see the same punishments being handed out to the big staple clubs of today. UEFA have been scrutinized in the past for their leniency when it comes to punishments. Now is not one of those times. The governing body must make a statement by punishing FC Barcelona severely. It is simply not fair to other clubs in Europe and all over the world who do not have the ability to sell extreme percentages of merchandising or private broadcasting. These clubs will end up being punished the way these Spanish giants never will if the law of the game continues to bend to the will of the big clubs.
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