FCBARCELONA.CAT

27.07.2007 17:26

Budget set at 315 milliion

www.fcbarcelona.cat

The budget for the 2007/08 season will be 315 million euros, 24.9 more than last year. According to initial predictions, the season to come should generate profits of 15 million.

According to financial vice-president Ferran Soriano, in the 2007/08 season, the club will draw in 315 million euros, one of the highest figures in the football world, and with the club planning to spend 300 million, the club looks set to continue to self-finance itself, as it has done for the last four years.

New sponsorship deals

This means the club expects to “make 25 million more than we did last season, 315 million compared to 290 this season, but not as much as the season after that, when we have new contracts to sign with Nike and Media Pro”.

The main reason for this increase will be sponsorship. “We have the best product, the best team, and we know how to sell it well”, said Soriano. The contracts with La Caixa and Telefònica end this year, and the new deals are presumably going to mean even more money. The club is also bringing in finances from other areas, such as new members, ticket sales, hire of facilities and Barça TV.

Salaries about right

101.2 million euros will be spent on first team salaries, up on last year’s 97 million, plus an additional 33.2 that will vary according to performance. This is in keeping with recommended wages in the football industry, which are around 55% of income.

Debt reduced to 13 millions

In the 2006/2007 season, the club’s good finances meant some of the club’s bank debt could be written off. 26 million will be returned this year, and Ferran Soriano believes the club is well on its way to getting back into the black, for at the end of the coming season, it will only owe 13 million euros, which is just 4% of the annual turnover.