Barcelona To Anticipate Great Financial Loss If They Failed The Champions League Group Stages
Barcelona To Anticipate Great Financial Loss If They Failed The Champions League Group Stages.
Fc Barcelona is nearly metaphorically on fire as they head toward failing the Champions League Group Stages with a dramatic 3-3 draw in Nou Camp, Spain Against Inter Milan.
That is somewhat understandable when you consider that Barcelona’s team is on its worst Champions League run in its history.
According to Pedro Martin, Barcelona has never performed worse in the competition over a 13-game stretch, recording just three wins, three draws, and seven defeats over the period.
Their almost certain impending exit from the competition is a major blow in all senses. It has raised serious questions over Xavi Hernandez’s management for the first time and financially, it represents a major shortfall for the Blaugrana in terms of TV money.
However that trend has not followed in European competition and following their 3-3 draw at home with Inter, Barcelona is very much on the outside looking into the Champions League.
Their 3-3 draw with Inter at Camp Nou on Wednesday night leaves them three points behind the Italian giants with a worse head-to-head record. As a result, they must hope that Inter does not win either of their remaining matches against Viktoria Plzen or Bayern Munich in order to stay alive.
Should they go out, as appears may be the case, Barcelona will miss out on €21m in prize money from the Champions League, according to Mundo Deportivo. The club, which only passed their budgets on Sunday, had forecast making the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Even so, that figure seems low, and considering all of the potential TV money and Matchday revenue that Barcelona may lose, it could have a significant financial impact. It may be they are forced into a major sale that they do not want to make next summer in order to balance the books.
Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo has reported how much the club will lose financially unless they are able to win their final games and other results go their way.
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It’s claimed the club will lose £18.4million if they don’t reach the quarter-final stage of the tournament.
As previously reported, Barcelona spent over £132m on rebuilding the team in the summer but to pay for the spending they have budgeted this season for the team to reach the last eight as a minimum.
Progression through now looks tough for Xavi’s side, who also face the task of beating a Bayern Munich side who they have struggled against in recent seasons.
Should Barcelona finish third in their group they will therefore be demoted to the Europa League.
However, even if they were to win that competition, it wouldn’t be enough to fill the economic hole left by an early Champions League exit, with the winners of the Europa League set to earn around £13million.
s previously reported Barcelona would earn around £8.4m if they reach the last 16 and a further £9.3m if they get to the quarter-finals.
From there they would get a further £11m for the semi-finals, earning either a further £13.6m or £17.5m depending on if they won the final if they were to get that far.
Barcelona fans had high hopes of a positive result against Inter Milan on Wednesday night, with the Serie A giants losing all five of their previous visits to the Nou Camp.
However, what ensued was a nerve-wrenching night where Barcelona looked to be on the cusp of elimination more than once.
Barcelona took the lead through Ousmane Dembele in the first 45, before second-half goals from Nicolo Barella and Lautaro Martinez gave the visitors the lead.
Robert Lewandowski gave the Spanish side hopes of a dream comeback with an 82nd-minute goal, only for Robin Goosens to score what looked like the winner with just one minute plus stoppage time to play.
Summer signing Lewandowski scored a 92nd-minute equalizer to earn a point – though it might just be a delay to their exit if Inter Milan is able to win at the San Siro next week.
The financial consequences of Barcelona’s Champions League progress are well-documented.
