Barcelona announce that they have reduced their debt with massive £263m net profit for the 2022-23 season… on the same day they were charged with bribery over payments to vice-president of Spain’s refereeing committee

• Barcelona have announced a net profit of £263m for the 2022-23 season 
• The Spanish giants have struggled with financial issues for several years
• They were earlier charged with bribery – but have denied any wrongdoing

Barcelona have confirmed that they have reduced their massive debt after announcing a net profit of £263m for the 2022-23 season. 

A club statement on Thursday confirmed that they have eaten into their debt for the second year in a row, after a figure which stood at £589m as of June 2021, has now dropped to £478m at the same time this year. 

The Spanish giants have been plagued by financial issues in recent years, and have been forced to lose top players like Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele.

They have also been forced into pulling some economic levers in recent years, including selling a 49.9 per cent stake in Barca Licensing and Merchandising. 

Barcelona’s statement comes on the same day that they were charged with bribery after police raided the Spanish FA’s offices regarding alleged payments of £6m from the club to the vice-president of Spain’s refereeing committee, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

Barcelona have announced a net profit of £263m for the 2022-23 season, reducing their debt to £478m as of June 30, 2023

It comes on the same day that the club were charged with bribery regarding the alleged payments from the club to the vice-president of Spain’s refereeing committee

The Spanish giants in their statement on their successful financial year, said their figures were better than expected and that improvements had been made in all lines of business.

‘These results have been achieved in a season that will go down in history for the record operational figures in the commercial and venue operation sections,’ a statement from the club read.

‘The club has made improvements in all lines of business, recording figures higher than expected in each of them.

Barcelona’s commercial revenue increased by an incredible 43 percent from last year, reaching £304m, thanks in part to a record number of new sponsorship deals and record sales from Barca Stores. 

They raised £173m in sponsorship, thanks in part to a deal with front-of-shirt sponsor Spotify, while Barcelona club stores also raised a record £73m over the last year. 

The museum had a turnover of around £35m, while there were also record gate takings for the club for their women’s football team, as well as their basketball team. 

Barcelona said for the 2023-24 season, they are projecting a revenue of £743m and a profit of £9.5m before taxes.

Their statement added: ‘The club is convinced that it is doing things right, for it has ended the year with an overall profit despite the reduction in ordinary income from season and ordinary tickets as a result of the move to the

‘This season is going to require an additional effort from the club’s commercial areas, major containment of ordinary spending and should also entail a significant reduction in the payroll for professional athletes, while ensuring that they remain as competitive or more than they were before.’

Barcelona’s commercial revenue increased by 43 per cent from last year – reaching £304m

Barcelona’s bribery charge comes as Negreira was considered to have been a civil servant during the time the payments were made to him, which as a result, Joan Laporta and two other former presidents could be charged with bribery on the basis that they were allegedly buying favours from government officials. 

According to documents reproduced by Spanish media the investigation by judge Joaquín Aguirre has concluded that it was ‘logical’ to understand that Barcelona were trying to buy influence.

Under bribery laws in Spain, if the case goes to trial, it will not be necessary to prove that influence was indeed rendered. The police investigation has so far found no record of payments by Negreira to referees. It would only be necessary to prove that there was intent on the part of Barcelona to purchase that influence.

Two other Barcelona presidents Josep Maria Bartomeu and Sandro Rosell and Negreira and his son, Javier Enriquez Romero, would have to take the stand in a trial by jury along with Laporta if the case reaches trial.

Bribery sentences range from three to six years as opposed to the six months to four years for the original charge of corruption.

A court case could see UEFA suspend Barcelona’s license to play in the Champions League next season.

Being thrown out of Europe next season would have massive consequence on Barcelona’s finances and, according to Spanish website El Confidential, some of the club’s financial backers have clauses in their financing agreements with the club that allow them to withdraw funding of the Camp Nou rebuild if Barcelona are prosecuted.

Barcelona deny all allegations of wrongdoing and the club briefed on Thursday that they are not overly concerned with the latest development, seeing the change of tack from corruption to bribery accusations as a consequence of no evidence having been found that they paid off referees.

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