Some key figures that Laporta revealed today highlighting our more than dire financial situation:
- Gross debt is at 1.35 billion euros, 15% than the end of 19/20 which was at 1.73 billion euros. Components of the debt:
(1) Money owed to financial entities: 673 million
(2) Money owed to other clubs and payrolls of athletes: 389 million
(3) Litigation that they believe the club will lose: 90 million What the heck is this??
(4) Advance payments for television rights: 79 million Why? How?
(5) Espai Barca: 56 million
(6) Installments that will not be collected: 40 million What the heck is this?? Why?
- Revenues for the 20/21 season were 631m (club figure, which is always higher than how Deloitte measures. I am guessing Deloitte will probably show our revenue to be around 500m), a 26% decrease from 19/20 by club measures
- Expenses for the 20/21 season were a whopping 1.14 billion (1136m to be exact), which was 19% more than 19/20 (995m). How the heck is that even possible?? How do they justify spending 19% MORE, now in the north of a 1b euros, when our revenue was taking a huge hit? I want to see itemized details listing every spending category and items, especially explanations for what amounted to the 19% increase.
- Losses for the 20/21 season were 481m based on the figures above, the impact of COVID was only 91m (revenues lost due to COVID were 217m, offset by reduced spending of 126m).
- Equity (assets - liabilities) is at -451m, working capital (what we are owed minus what we owe) is at -553m
- Actual wage bill for 20/21 was 617m while La Liga's salary cap for 20/21 for us was 237m. Knowing this, Bartomeu's board still put 415m in the budget for wages for 20/21.
- Actual saving from the wage bill for 20/21 was 68m, including real wage reductions and deferrals, not the 172m figure that was declared by Bartomeu, according to Laporta
- Last but not least, renewing Messi would mean an operation of 250m (probably the entire length of his contract with the club, including deferred wages beyond the two years)