FC Barcelona Finances

[Luftstalag14]

Would never get to a situation like that and easy to put checks in place and limit what outside voters can have impact on.

I hope so. Opening up membership should be done to make fans around the world closer to the club, not as a way to make more money though. We receive about 30m or so a year from membership dues, chunk change compared to other much bigger portions such as matchday, broadcast and sponsorship/merchandise. Even if you time that by 3, it is still just 100m a year.

 

[JamDav1982]

I hope so. Opening up membership should be done to make fans around the world closer to the club, not as a way to make more money though. We receive about 30m or so a year from membership dues, chunk change compared to other much bigger portions such as matchday, broadcast and sponsorship/merchandise. Even if you time that by 3, it is still just 100m a year.

Totally disagree.

Opening up should only be about money and keeping vast majority of power with the 'locals'.

Dont like the idea of fans around world having a great influence.

 

[Luftstalag14]

Totally disagree.

Opening up should only be about money and keeping vast majority of power with the 'locals'.

Dont like the idea of fans around world having a great influence.

Well, this is wrong on many levels:

- The purpose of opening up membership is to rake in more money??

- All socis are equal, if you open up membership, how are you going to say one member is superior to the other and hence has more rights than the others? Just because the first one resides in Barcelona and the second one does not?

 

[serghei]

Totally disagree.

Opening up should only be about money and keeping vast majority of power with the 'locals'.

Dont like the idea of fans around world having a great influence.

But why not sell 49% of the club to a private entity then. Keep 51% in the hands of the socis. Can't something like that be done? Isn't this how most German clubs operate @Luft?

 

[JamDav1982]

Well, this is wrong on many levels:

- The purpose of opening up membership is to rake in more money??

- All socis are equal, if you open up membership, how are you going to say one member is superior to the other and hence has more rights than the others? Just because the first one resides in Barcelona and the second one does not?

Yes opening up would be to make money.

It shouldnt open up if all socios are equal in my opinion. Lose large part of what club is about and stands for.

 

[Luftstalag14]

But why not sell 49% of the club to a private entity then. Keep 51% in the hands of the socis. Can't something like that be done? Isn't this how most German clubs operate @Luft?

Some, yes, like Bayern whose members own about 75% of the shares with the rest being shared by their corporate shareholders (Allianz, Audi and Adidas).

But to do that we will have to convert ourselves into a SAG (in Spain only us, Real Madrid, Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao are not, everybody else is a SAG) and by doing so we will lose some tax benefits as far as I know.

 

[Luftstalag14]

Yes opening up would be to make money.

It shouldnt open up if all socios are equal in my opinion. Lose large part of what club is about and stands for.

That's why we should tread carefully, if we do decide to open up the membership every soci should be treated equally and has the same right. That's why I worry about outside influence and hostile takeover and mentioned some sort of mechanism in place to prevent that.

The club has already promoted an alternative to formal club membership, the so-called "Culer Membership" which anyone, everyone can buy and it will come with access to Barca TV+, and not for a lot of money.

I recommend every Barca fan who wants to help out the club to do that, very worth it. You get a nice physical card with your name on it mailed to you and Barca TV+ truly rocks, I am getting a kick out of it.

 

[serghei]

Some, yes, like Bayern whose members own about 75% of the shares with the rest being shared by their corporate shareholders (Allianz, Audi and Adidas).

But to do that we will have to convert ourselves into a SAG (in Spain only us, Real Madrid, Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao are not, everybody else is a SAG) and by doing so we will lose some tax benefits as far as I know.

But private shareholders who own let's say 25%, they can't be forced to cover the debts of the club with a massive injection of capital right? Or they can offer to pay it, but can use this as leverage to gain more control in the club?

Say if Nike was owning 25% of the club, would they intervene in a case like this and pay the 400m just like that? Without demanding anything from the party that owns the other 75%?

Don't know much about these economic things.

 

[JamDav1982]

That's why we should tread carefully, if we do decide to open up the membership every soci should be treated equally and has the same right. That's why I worry about outside influence and hostile takeover and mentioned some sort of mechanism in place to prevent that.

The club has already promoted an alternative to formal club membership, the so-called "Culer Membership" which anyone, everyone can buy and it will come with access to Barca TV+, and not for a lot of money.

I recommend every Barca fan who wants to help out the club to do that, very worth it. You get a nice physical card with your name on it mailed to you and Barca TV+ truly rocks, I am getting a kick out of it.

As I said.. open it up and limit it.

Only 'local' socios can give signatures for candidates and/or limit the influence of 'new' socios to certain % of votes. Maximum 20% etc.

The socios wont vote for anything that opens it up to control being taken away anyway.

 

[Luftstalag14]

But private shareholders who own let's say 25%, they can't be forced to cover the debts of the club with a massive injection of capital right? Or they can offer to pay it, but can use this as leverage to gain more control in the club?

Say if Nike was owning 25% of the club, would they intervene in a case like this and pay the 400m just like that? Without demanding anything from the party that owns the other 75%?

Don't know much about these economic things.

I don't know much either. I know in the past Bayern has issued dividends to their shareholders, albeit not much, at least they provided some financial incentives to their corporate shareholders. I don't know what kind or responsibilities and liabilities their corporate shareholders take on.

In our case, I have been thinking, what would be the incentive for any corporation or entity to own part of the club though? Most of the profit will be reinvested in debt repayment and other sporting things. For fame only?

 

[Luftstalag14]

As I said.. open it up and limit it.

Only 'local' socios can give signatures for candidates and/or limit the influence of 'new' socios to certain % of votes. Maximum 20% etc.

The socios wont vote for anything that opens it up to control being taken away anyway.

It will be tricky. "Local", ie. based on the home address of the soci? Wouldn't that be discriminatory? Also one can fudge addresses (by buying up properties in Catalonia and Spain etc.).

Based on tenure? Might be a good idea initially (the current club statute already specifies that you have to be a soci for least a year in order to vote, for example) but as years gone by it will become a problem.

 

[JamDav1982]

It will be tricky. "Local", ie. based on the home address of the soci? Wouldn't that be discriminatory? Also one can fudge addresses (by buying up properties in Catalonia and Spain etc.).

Based on tenure? Might be a good idea initially (the current club statute already specifies that you have to be a soci for least a year in order to vote, for example) but as years gone by it will become a problem.

'Local' based on the rules as they are now.

Dont think it would be a problem as years gone by.

 

[Luftstalag14]

'Local' based on the rules as they are now.

Dont think it would be a problem as years gone by.

I am not sure if the current club statute has anything about being "local", I will leave it to someone who is more familiar with them to speak. As far as I know, we have members scattering around Spain and the world (with the majority being in Catalonia of course) and they have the same rights and there is no differentiation between "local" and "non-local".

As years gone by, anything new will not be "new" anymore.

 

[Devils]

Will the Catalan or Spanish government give us a bailout?

Barca is too big to fail lmao. It's like the airlines...they will be saved if the whole entity goes into crisis.

 

[JamDav1982]

I am not sure if the current club statute has anything about being "local", I will leave it to someone who is more familiar with them to speak. As far as I know, we have members scattering around Spain and the world (with the majority being in Catalonia of course) and they have the same rights and there is no differentiation between "local" and "non-local".

As years gone by, anything new will not be "new" anymore.

Local as in just easy way to say rules as is now.. I realise not everyone lives right next to stadium.