Barcelona’s financial structure messed up by Bartomeu’s reckless contract extensions

According to Catalunya Radio, the player contracts approved by former president Josep Maria Bartomeu are crippling Barcelona’s financial situation.

The contracts offered to players had a growing structure. This implies that the value of the agreements increase with every passing year and the wages going up simultaneously.

With the promised growth being almost exponential, his moves seem destined to destroy the club financially.

A contract of such structure has been offered to all players who signed under Bartomeu’s final years as president and also to the players who renewed during the same period.

These contracts promised the players only a nominal salary in the first year, but significantly higher salaries from the succeeding seasons when the Board was deemed to change.

The first player signed under this season was Philippe Coutinho. Like others, his salary has skyrocketed in the last two years. Frenkie de Jong, Samuel Umtiti, Gerard Piqué, Jordi Alba, Sergi Roberto and Busquets are others under similar schemes.

The increase in income promised in succeeding years was reportedly as high as 40-50%, an unbelievable figure. These bonuses were usually in the form of Loyalty bonuses to push the burden on the newly incoming board, putting them under pressure.

The club’s financial situation is already in a very dire position. Such contracts by the previous board are one of the major reasons for the same. Laporta has been working on the same wage cuts by negotiating first with the captains and then with other players.