FC Barcelona finally returned to 1:1 status at the start of this year as they finally met the criteria set by La Liga. The Blaugranes were able to do so only after finalising the sale of VIP seats at Spotify Camp Nou for €100 million, an operation that was definitively closed in January.
However, controversy is once again brewing at the Catalan club regarding this deal, which could end up costing Barcelona a significant amount in FFP next summer.
A temporary auditing company had endorsed this operation in January, and it was only after this endorsement that La Liga approved the Blaugrana club’s return to the 1:1 rule.
However, SPORT reports that the new auditors engaged by Barcelona, Crowe Spain, do not agree with the criteria that was employed by the previous temporary auditors with which this operation was validated.
According to Crowe, the income of €100 million should not be computed in full in the accounts for this year, as the asset, the VIP seats, does not exist at this point in time.
The auditors have suggested two ways forward in this scenario. Firstly, the Catalans can compute only the €58 million they have got on 3rd January in this year’s accounts, or they can divide the full amount with the 20 years of the contract for the sale of the VIP seats, i.e., €5 million per year.
This point can turn out to be quite significant for Barcelona because if La Liga accepts the criteria suggested by Crowe, they would lose up to €42 million in salary cap for the next summer transfer window.
For now, the Blaugranes are clear that the previous criteria should be maintained. Meanwhile, La Liga is waiting for the Catalans to submit their audited accounts before the March 31 deadline.
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If this situation does not turn out in the way the Catalans are hoping, it will still not affect the registration of Dani Olmo, as his registration was guaranteed in June. However, it can still significantly undercut Barcelona’s ability to get new players in the summer.