FC Barcelona is once again seeing its payroll increase. According to A.S.the cost of its workforce should reach 636 million euros this season, exactly the amount recorded in 2019-2020. However, the financial situation is different: this sum would represent 53% of the club’s income today, compared to 74% at the time. The following season, marked by the drop in revenue linked to the pandemic, this ratio even reached 98%. Economic vice-president Ferran Olivé ensures that this increase remains under control and accompanies that of income. It is explained in particular by the desire to maintain a young and efficient workforce, with several contract extensions, accompanied by salary increases.
Barça therefore believes that it remains within the sustainability parameters recommended by UEFA, but will have to ensure that its revenues grow more quickly than its expenses. The club is counting in particular on the full exploitation of the Spotify Camp Nou and on the growth of Barça Licensing & Merchandising to increase its revenues. Sports director Deco also took advantage of the return to the 1:1 rule to make major recruitments this summer and extend several players. The situation could nevertheless become complicated at the start of next season: Barça should temporarily return to the Lluís-Companys Olympic stadium, with lower revenues, and could then again exceed the salary limit set by LaLiga.
