Barca fans are haunted by ghosts of past greatness, someone had to do something about it.
Fairs and well done!
While it probably isn’t true, and DOES sound crazy … I could easily see a situation in which Barcelona was crazy enough to have a “success guarantee” written into their sponsorship deals in exchange for money closer to what they were used to getting in the past.
That could, in theory, trigger them to pull out of agreements, but probably not permanently or to have them booted from La Liga. More likely to re-negotiate the financial terms of their backing.
I am in no way saying that’s what happened, but I could see Barca doing something like that. 3 different, good journalists that cover Barca for ESPN and others say they were told Barca had “budgeted the year for reaching the Quarterfinals at minimum”
Barca fans have been quick to hit back with that seeming unimportant because it’s only like 35 mil, and some could be made up in Europa. And they were right; on the surface the impact of budgeting for a CL round seems not that big a deal.
BUT, if their sponsorship money levels were tied to the same performance …. Then those “budgeted” comments would suddenly make much more sense.
I think it is almost certain Barca have limits on their sponsorships as to what they recieve being dependent on, on the field success. Switching this around, the sponsors would be insane to promise Barca top wack if they don't perform.
The question is whether Barca signed contracts promising a certain level of performance, every year, or over multiple years'. For instance, it is widely known Utd have a agreement with Addidas which allows them to reduce payments with two years' excluded for the CL.
Barca being in the position they were this Summer means it is likely they got worse terms than a more stable club like Utd, which would also explain why they were budgeting for the QF.
Just as a caveat, not saying that Barca are going to have all their sponsors walk put on them, rather it seems very plausible that the deals they struck would very much be dependent on year to year performance e.g. 5-30% withheld if they don't hit x, y or Z criteria.
Agreed, It's not out of the question that sponsors asked for a UCL type guarantee or bonus depending on reaching the knockout stages, the further they go the more money Barca would receive. It's also not out of the question that the dimwits that run FC Barcelona thought of that as guaranteed money and are now in an even bigger pickle.
This will definitely effect them in a bad way, considering the amount of players, clubs, boards and banks they owe.
This is the thing. Barca have proven themselves incapable of striking deals that make financial sense time and again. It is very plausible they agreed to something crazy I.e. minimum of QF in the CL every season to obtain the full amount of their contracts.
Thing is we will discover if this prediction is true as they have to announce their turnover. Looking forward to that.
Poor Barcelona fans. The horror of being only the second best team in your country and just outside of the top ten best club teams in the world. The shame must be unbearable.
It is when you have the debt they do. Such a drop is essentially both banter material and ruinous.
Why did they really risk so much of their futures revenues to be made look foolish, such a dumb dumb move.
Just lie down for a season or two, develop your youth and then build a team to challenge when you're ready, it's not like their in danger of not qualifying.
Tbf, I think the decision did have some logic to it, if you sign up to the theory that I do that Barca are essentially full blown broke/cannot afford their liabilities.
I made this analogy before, but I will do it again.
Barca are essentially a arrogant degenerate gambler who has lived a life in a hyper luxurious bubble. By doing this, they have taken risks left, right and centre not fully comprehending what all of it means; since they presume such a lifestyle if obtainable to all and that, even if it isn't, enough people like them and they have enough buddies with 'clout' to bail them out.
However, at some point (I say the first few months of Laporta's second term) reality set in and they realised not many people did like them when they weren't flashing money/paying them to be their friends and their buddies with 'clout' additionally either;
a) also didn't like them that much
b) don't have the ability to bail them
c) weren't going to risk their own position to help them.
At that point they had an option to either become humble and accept their new position or cave to their degenerate/arrogant side and think 'well, if I cannot live this life, then life isn't worth living' and consequently liquidated their remaining assets and reputation for one last throw of the dice to gey it all back.
They subsequently chose the latter.
Of course, they may get lucky and their gamble comes off, however if it doesn't (and I suspect not being in the latter stages of the CL was a part of the predicted upside) then the consequences will be calamitous.
As I said, when I first made that anaology, it will be 3-5 years' before we get a final answer. However, the biggest problem for them, isn't actually this KO. It is the ruling of the ECJ. If they, as predicted, rule against the Super League and then UEFA actually follow through with their multiple year European ban, then it will surely be 'goodnight, Vienna' for them with their debts.
