Star Metro - Barcelona predict record revenues, rising profits

"It's a conservative budget," Barca's financial vice-president Eduard Romeu said, as the club released figures for the 2021/22 financial year and forecasts for the current campaign.

Barcelona said the revenue figure included more than 450 million euros from the sale of long-term television and other rights.

The Catalans said in the year just ended they made a profit of 98 million euros after taxes, with operating income of 1.017 billion euros and expenses of 856 million euros.

That followed two loss-making seasons during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Barca said they were "back on the road to profit and looking to initiate a new virtuous circle".

The budget for next year predicts expenses of 1.065 billion euros, of which 656 million euros would go on the sporting wage bill.

Romeu said salaries had been cut from 617 euros for the 2020/21 season to 518 million euros last season.

New player signings and a lack of departures have led to expectations of an increase this season.

"We were planning for a more significant reduction in the salary bill," Romeu said, adding that even so, the club would be happy to take Lionel Messi back.

"Messi is an asset for Barca and has the doors open," Romeu said.

"It is a matter for the sporting management and if the sporting management want it, we will get to work on that objective."

In the 2020/21 season Barcelona posted losses of 481 million euros and blamed them for not being able to renew their all-time record scorer's contract, leading him to sign for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.

Romeu lamented that he had not been able to persuade other high-priced stars to leave.

"There are a number of contracts that have a very high cost and between this season and next season they disappear," said Romeu, adding that he wants to achieve a balance by the 2024/25 season.

"Five hundred million euros would be the ideal figure for a competitive first-team squad."

In the summer, the club sold 25 percent of their La Liga television rights to investment firm Sixth Street for the next 25 years, raising more than 500 million euros, and 49 percent of their Barca Studios production company to two companies for a total of around 200 million. Some of that revenue is included in the 2022/23 forecast.

Barca said "without the effect of this extraordinary sale, the club still received 750 million euros in other operating income."

They highlighted the "sale of metaverses, NFTs and tokens" by Barca Studios and said the new partnerships "will produce an acceleration of the business."

The budget will be submitted to the club's annual general assembly of members on October 9.

L.Mitchell--SMC