La Liga giants Barcelona have been dealt an altogether considerable blow on the financial front, by way of the club’s exit from the Champions League.
Xavi’s troops, of course, saw their continental campaign brought to a close at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night.
After welcoming the French champions to Catalunya’s capital in possession of a 3-2 aggregate advantage, Ronald Araújo’s dismissal proved itself a turning point in the tie, en route to an eventual 4-1 PSG rout at Montjuïc.
Barcelona, as a result, will not take to the pitch in European competition again until the 2024/25 term.
Matters on the pitch aside, though, what kind of a blow does Tuesday’s result mean for the club’s finances?
It is common knowledge across world football that the monetary situation at the Camp Nou is far from ideal at present, with Barca having been forced into a series of unwanted emergency measures over the course of the last year, simply to fund business on the transfer front.
Safe to say, then, that the Blaugrana brass would have welcomed every cent they could garner from the club’s endeavours on the continent.
As per a report from Mundo Deportivo, advancing to the semi-finals of the Champions League would have resulted in Barcelona securing an additional €12.5 million.
On top of this, a further €6 million is likely to have been raised through ticket sales for the club’s final-4 outing at Montjuïc.
What also must be taken into consideration, though, is the fact that Barca have now officially been eliminated from contention for the 2025 Club World Cup.
Participants in the new competition are understood to be entitled to a minimum payout of a hefty €50 million.
Safe to say, Joan Laporta and co. won’t be too eager to delve into Barcelona’s financial accounts over the days ahead…
Conor Laird | GSFN
