At the start of the season, FC Barcelona has impressed with its form. These good results are far from guaranteed, given the club’s significant financial troubles. One only needs to recall the desperate attempts to register Dani Olmo — due to wage limits, Ilkay Gündogan was first let go for free to Manchester City, and then the injured Andreas Christensen was deregistered, finally paving the way for the Spaniard to join the squad. Issues are visible in other areas as well.
Polish clubs are waiting for money from FC Barcelona. The club owes nearly €150 million
Clubs making cash transfers are obligated to pay solidarity payments to the player's previous teams. In the past, there have been reports of Barcelona delaying payments to clubs, including Polish clubs that were owed money for the transfer of Robert Lewandowski. It seems that not everything has been settled yet.
In the financial report summarizing the 2023/24 season, Barcelona’s short- and long-term obligations were outlined. The short-term liabilities amount to €45 million, and the long-term liabilities are €102.6 million (a total of €147.6 million) - these figures were revealed by Catalan "Sport".
One of the biggest financial burdens for the Spanish vice-champions is related to Lewandowski’s transfer. Seven clubs are awaiting payments, including five Polish clubs. Although the largest sum is owed to Bayern Munich, Lewandowski’s previous team, the total amount owed exceeds €22 million.
FC Barcelona’s financial obligations to Robert Lewandowski’s former clubs:
- Bayern Munich - €21 million (€10.4 million in short-term liabilities + €10.6 million in long-term liabilities)
- Varsovia Warsaw - €338,000 (€169,000 + €169,000)
- Lech Poznań - €238,000 (€119,000 + €119,000)
- Znicz Pruszków - €226,000 (€113,000 + €113,000)
- Borussia Dortmund - €156,000 (€78,000 + €78,000)
- Legia Warsaw - €100,000 (€50,000 + €50,000)
- Delta Warsaw - €66,000 (€33,000 + €33,000)
The situation is equally complicated for other players. An interesting case is Raphinha, who was brought in from Leeds United; the English club will receive €559,000 short-term and almost €42 million long-term! Small amounts are also owed to Sporting, Stade Rennes, and Vitoria.
"For Jules Koundé, in the long term, Barcelona owes Sevilla €24.5 million, and small amounts to Girondins Bordeaux and La Brède. For Ferran Torres, €13 million is due in the near term, and another €13 million long-term to Manchester City, with a slightly smaller amount going to Valencia. Athletico Paranaense must receive €11.8 million in the short term and €7 million in the long term for Vitor Roque," the report says. There are also smaller sums owed for younger players. And other problems arise too - it was recently revealed that Sergio Agüero is still expecting money from the club.
In such financial circumstances, Hansi Flick has managed to create a well-functioning team. So far, under the German's leadership, FC Barcelona has won nine out of 11 matches, with two losses. After nine rounds of La Liga, the team has 24 points and leads the table. Its top scorer is Robert Lewandowski, with a total of 12 goals in La Liga and the Champions League.
