Cash-strapped Barcelona forced to take out £125m loan
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Cash-strapped Barcelona forced to take out £125m loan to pay superstar players
Money matters: Barcelona's new president Sandro Rosell
New Barcelona president Sandro Rosell last night revealed the club will need a loan to pay their players at the end of the month.
Rosell insisted Barca would not go to the wall, but admitted they were in a ‘delicate financial situation’, meaning they would be using a loan of 150million euros (£125m) agreed by previous president Joan Laporta.
The Spanish champions will borrow an amount similar to that owed by crisis club Portsmouth.
Rosell angered fans by saying fees for members — the equivalent to English season-ticket holders — would have to rise.
And he confirmed the sale of Dmitro Chygrynskiy back to Shakhtar Donetsk after just one season.
The Ukraine defender is being sold for £12.5m — a loss on the deal of nearly £9m. Barcelona fans fear such a desperate move highlights that the economic situation is more dire than Laporta ever let on.
It must also lead to doubts that Barcelona can afford to launch a £30m-plus bid to sign Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas.
The sale of Chygrynskiy, along with holding midfielder Yaya Toure’s recent departure to Manchester City, has raised the £32m Rosell has said he would be prepared to splash out on the Arsenal captain.
By pleading poverty, it is suggested, Barca are telling Arsenal they will not pay ‘any price’ for the Gunners captain.
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I think they need to sell off more players to raise even more funds. Lol!
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Time to look for a sponsor...