La Liga president hints at Barcelona’s return to 1:1 rule: ‘We’ve informed them’ | OneFootball

Barcelona’s ability to operate freely in the transfer market has once again become a talking point after Javier Tebas suggested the club may finally be approaching compliance with La Liga’s coveted 1:1 rule.

Speaking a day after attending Joan Laporta’s inauguration ceremony, the La Liga president offered an encouraging assessment of Barça’s current financial position, while stopping short of confirming that the Catalan side have definitively regained full spending capacity.

Tebas offers optimism

Questions surrounding Barcelona’s Financial Fair Play status have dominated several transfer windows, but Tebas hinted that the situation has improved significantly.

Asked whether Barcelona currently satisfy the requirements needed to operate under the 1:1 rule, the La Liga chief chose his words carefully.

“I think so. Let Barça say so. We’ve informed them; they will know. I don’t know – it’s handled by the Financial Control department,” he said, as per SPORT.

Although not a definitive confirmation, Tebas’ remarks suggest Barcelona are moving closer to the financial flexibility they have been striving to recover over recent years.

Notably, Barcelona have spent months restructuring their accounts in an effort to restore stability and create room for new signings.

Javier Tebas has explained Barcelona’s finances. (Photo by Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images For Sportel)

Among them are the €14 million generated through the partial sale of VIP seats at the renovated Spotify Camp Nou and the permanent transfer of Ansu Fati to Monaco.

Within the club, these transactions are considered crucial in helping Barcelona close the financial year with healthier numbers.

How Barcelona could finance a major transfer

The debate surrounding Barcelona’s finances has intensified because of reports linking the club with high-profile additions, particularly Julian Alvarez.

Tebas used the opportunity to explain how Financial Fair Play calculations function when clubs make expensive signings.

Using a hypothetical example, the La Liga president pointed out that transfer fees are amortised over the length of a player’s contract rather than being recorded entirely in a single financial year.

“When you sign a player, if you pay 100 million, it is spread over the contract period. 

Tebas also shed light on how Barcelona can sign Julian Alvarez. (Photo by Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images For Sportel)

“For Financial Fair Play, if you sign a player for 100 and the contract is for 5 years, 20 is counted each year. And the other factor that counts is the player’s transfer fee. 

“Imagine that for 150 million – which would be a top player – 35 million is counted each year,” he explained.

The player’s salary, however, also forms part of the equation and must be incorporated into the annual Financial Fair Play calculations.

Strong relationship with Laporta

Tebas also addressed speculation generated by his attendance at Laporta’s inauguration, especially after the Barcelona president publicly referred to him as a friend.

The La Liga chief insisted that maintaining a cordial institutional relationship with Barcelona does not affect the decisions taken by the governing body.

Clarifying his position, Tebas stated, “There is no need to hide the fact that we have good relations.”