Barcelona closing in on La Liga 1:1 status after major salary relief | OneFootball

The Polish veteran Robert Lewandowski announced his departure from FC Barcelona at the end of the season, and has already said his farewell to the fans at the Spotify Camp Nou in the last home game of the season last night.

There is no doubt that with his departure, the Catalan side will lose one of the best strikers in Europe, and it remains to be seen how they plan to replace such an important figure in their squad going forward. However, while his exit is undoubtedly a big sporting blow, it can also end up benefiting Barcelona in another key aspect.

As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, Lewandowski’s departure puts the Blaugrana club in a very strong position to return to La Liga’s 1:1 rule next summer, and at this point, only something very unexpected can prevent that from happening.

The Polish striker was earning close to €24 million gross in this final season of his contract, and this amount will now be removed from Barcelona’s wage bill for the 2026/27 campaign. In addition to Lewandowski’s exit, the club is also working on other cost-cutting measures internally, which further improve their Financial Fair Play situation ahead of the summer transfer window.

Meanwhile, income generated from the redevelopment of the Spotify Camp Nou is also expected to continue increasing. The remaining phases of the stadium project, including the expansion of the VIP seating areas, are set to progress next season and are projected to bring significant revenue to the club in the long run.

Another major boost has come from the club’s auditor recently authorizing recognition of the remaining €71 million linked to the VIP seats operation, which had been pending for some time. All of these factors combined now place Barcelona in the best possible position to finally return to the long-awaited 1:1 rule.

This would be a massive development for the Catalans, especially considering the restrictions they have been forced to operate under in recent years.

Up until now, Barcelona could only reinvest a limited percentage of the wages freed up from outgoing players and the money generated through player sales because they were not compliant with La Liga’s Financial Fair Play regulations.

Once the 1:1 rule is officially restored, those limitations will disappear, meaning Barcelona will be able to use 100% of the salary space freed up by departures, as well as the full amount generated from transfer fees, towards new signings.

As a result, the Catalan side will have a much easier time pursuing their desired targets in the upcoming transfer window, especially with the signing of a new striker expected to become one of the club’s main priorities following Lewandowski’s departure.