Champions League: Barça excluded? Joan Laporta drops a bombshell | OneFootball

Joan Laporta

Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, makes a stunning revelation about a possible exclusion of the Catalan club from the Champions League.

This Sunday, Joan Laporta attended Barça’s Ordinary General Assembly. It was the perfect occasion for the president to drop a bombshell. The Catalan president explained that the club had been under immense pressure to comply with financial fair play rules, and that the situation could have come at a huge cost. “UEFA wanted to sanction us by banning us from next season’s Champions League.” Laporta revealed. However, by arguing that Barça isn’t a public limited company and cannot raise capital, the sanctions were reduced from a €60 million fine to just €15 million.

Laporta also addressed the topic of the so-called “levers”—the financial measures that sparked much debate as the club sought to refill its coffers: “These are not asset sales, but rather temporary transfers. We ceded 25% of our TV rights to secure liquidity without touching the socios’ pockets. This operation saved the club and allowed us to strengthen the squad, especially with the 2022 signings.”

He then discussed atypical revenue strategies, including the planned match in Miami: “We’re not thrilled about taking our team so far away, but as Gaspart used to say, it’s necessary to generate exceptional income. LaLiga and the other clubs will benefit from the extra revenue, but Barça and Villarreal will gain the most.”