Shout out to our friend Mario from The Generalist for letting us adapt his article for a video. If you enjoyed this story, make sure to check out the full written piece: www.generalist.com/briefing/b...
⏱ Timestamps
00:00 The Business of Barcelona
00:56 The Rise
04:52 Elefant Blau
08:09 The Fall
13:13 Rise again?
🎬 About
Athletic Interest is a video essay series that investigates business stories from the world of sports.
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Sources:
[1] www.generalist.com/briefing/b...
[2] The inventor of modern football www.ft.com/content/9eb4d622-0...
[3] www.fcbarcelona.com/en/club/i...
[4] www.transfermarkt.com/fcbarce...
[5] www.marca.com/en/football/bar...
[6] www.iusport.es/casos/barza/moc...
[7] Andreff, Wladimir; Szymański, Stefan (2006). Handbook on the economics of sport. Edward Elgar Publishing. p. 299
[8] thorehaugstad.substack.com/p/...
[9] www.sueddeutsche.de/sport/fc-...
[10] www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages...
[11] theathletic.com/2424582/2021/...
[12] bleacherreport.com/articles/5...
[13] www.uefa.com/uefachampionslea...
[14] www.theguardian.com/football/...
[15] www.transfermarkt.co.uk/neyma...
[16] www.reuters.com/article/us-so...
[17] www.nytimes.com/2021/02/12/sp...
[18] www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-ba...
[19] www.transfermarkt.co.uk/real-...
[20] www.marca.com/en/football/bar...
[21] apnews.com/article/soccer-spo...
[22] www.fcbarcelona.com/en/club/n...
#fcbarcelona #laliga #leomessi #sportsbusiness
Putting Laporta in the same picture as Bartomeu and Sandro is an insult to how much he has worked to bring this club back.
no he fits very well
Laporta has sold Barça’s future for small short term gain. This is not going to end well for Barça.
@@andyblue415 even if that's the case they can always be sold to an ultra-rich
@@andyblue415 you don't know that my friend - that's why it's called a gamble!!!
Exactly what I came here to comment. This channel out Laporta in the same sentence as Bartomeu and Rossellini as the men who were responsible for Barca’s fall which was completely false.
As a Cule all I am gonna say is let Laporta Cook 👀🍿🍿
Well, you can do nothing about it, he doesn't even know you exist😅
@@felizvolantez2699 😂😂
Nothing is free, all that money will eventually come back to bite Barca one day 😢
@@felizvolantez2699 Ok? 😅 And?
@@3INLONG the catalan government will never allow anything to harm Barcelona
Coutinho deal was such a terrible deal for both Barca and the player. As Liverpool fan I am happy that Liverpool was only winner in this deal. I remember Barca made some weir d offer at first and how Coutinho acted as if his new signed deal just six months ago meant nothing
That's Bartomeu and Rosell for you. Their main goal was just to look good and better than Laporta and it didn't matter whether they were making good long term decisions
Coutinhass was worst buy
I liked Coutinho I mean I wanted for him to succeed but I was happy that he failed in the UCL in that game against LFC. I was happy when he won it all with Bayern
Dembele was almost just as bad. Both snatched from current glory at their respective incumbent clubs.
As a Barca fan, we trust in Laporta. I believe in him. A lot of impatient rival fans don't understand how good he is. Especially because of Tebas being a baby. Instead of being charged for paying refs, we are about to make money from it. Laporta has slammed and tried to expose Tebas a lot, and taught him a lesson. So as of recent, Tebas has been acting calm, and nice towards Barca to prevent being exposed. I trust Xavi, I trust Laporta. No matte how much rival fans cry, I love this club, especially when it's run by the right people. VISCA BARCA.
It's cruel irony that one of Barcelona's biggest blessings Laporta came with its worst two devils Bartomeu and Rosell and how these two devils actually emerged from the good times
Indeed. What an irony. People generally tend to forget Sandro Rosell misadventures over barto. I argue that he was the one starting this decay.
Moreover, 1st time he came in 2003 after Joan Gaspart and Josep Lluís Nuñez, another couple who half destroyed the club. They got rid of Cruyff like Rosell and Bartomeu got rid of Guardiola.
As someone rightly said "Hard times create strong people, strong people create good times, good times create weak people, and weak people create hard times"
You can add Laporta to that list, during first stint as President his financial mismanagement left the club €442 million in debt and his board reported a loss of €11 million in his final year, however it was actually €77 million!
1. Josep Maria Bartomeu thought that bringing big names is enough. Which has backfired season upon season. 2. Covid worsened the situation and exposed his senseless decisions. 3. Laporta has to do something to bring back the club back on track else club will be doomed. All the levers can be bought back after raising funds. (not the ideal one but necessary step to safeguard Barça legacy). 4. Xavi, the man who turned tables.
That man, Bartomeu disturbed everything in Barça.
@@bharatavarsha10k sandro rossell too
@@Ibrakadibra 4-0
Xavi turned the tables? Yes. Got knocked out of 2 European competitions early. Great achievement!
@@zeus3086 It takes time and we were a bit unlucky too Anyways it's our first title in 4 years so he surely turned the table
Laporta already saved Barca from Bankruptcy and I believe he can do it again.
LMAO They are even in a much worse position than before because of the levers and the terrible deal for the renovation of the stadium. They know they won't be able to pay it all back, so this is why Laporta is not that much concerned about spending as he knows his successor will have no choice but to sell the club
@@masecaccm8372 As a barca fan, I would like Barca to be sold to Qataris or emiratis. Enough of tyranny of these socios who elect people like Barto and Rossell. With blank cheque in hand and big spending, Barcelona would finally become 2011 Barcelona.
@@nightking8490 I would laugh if Qatar ends up buying Barcelona after the controversy with the sponsorship and then how they took away their best players. Barca would never be used as a symbol and weapon for catalan independentismo and I doubt the socios will vote for this
@@masecaccm8372well when it's come to money , everything can turn to be a weapon. Same with Barcelona. If Barcelona were to be sold,there will be no shortage of big buyers. In that case, socios will also surrender. All I care about big cheques and spending to make it a formidable team of the past.
@@masecaccm8372 You have zero business knowledge. Barca didn't sell significant shares of their assets. They sold 25% of the broadcasting rights and 49% of Barca merchandises this Barca are still the main owners of these assets. Secondly the loan that they have taken will be paid off once the Espai Barca project is up and running. Do you think banks like Goldman Sachs will give a loan to you if they don't thing you can repay them? If you think that way then you are the biggest fool I have met. With over 250m euros that Barca will generate with the Espai Barca project they will be able to repay the loan that they have taken for the stadium. So yeah you fools can doubt Barca and it's management but those who understand football and business know that Laporta pulled a mastermind move to secure the present and the future of FC Barcelona FORCA BARCA 💙❤️
Lifelong Barcelona supporter from North East of India ❤💙 Been supporting since Ronaldinho years. The fact that Barca has excelled so much with homegrown players by following a certain philosophy made me fall in love with this club. I'm very privileged to have visited Camp Nou and watch the match against Valencia back in 2015 where Barca won 2-0 with Suarez scoring in the first minute and Messi scoring in the last minute. Certainly Mes Que Un Club!
Forever love ❤💙
It's 💙❤️ not ❤️💙. Blau-grana....
As a Barca fan, we trust in Laporta. I believe in him. A lot of impatient rival fans don't understand how good he is. Especially because of Tebas being a baby. Instead of being charged for paying refs, we are about to make money from it. Laporta has slammed and tried to expose Tebas a lot, and taught him a lesson. So as of recent, Tebas has been acting calm, and nice towards Barca to prevent being exposed. I trust Xavi, I trust Laporta. No matte how much rival fans cry, I love this club, especially when it's run by the right people. VISCA BARCA.
Val lagil comment tu Sai. Moi Barca 2008 manor pora sai asu. Happy to hear that you visited camp nou. Much love from tinsukia
You need to turn this into a series with other clubs, this video is incredible.
I actually love this channel so much. No other channel like it on KZhead.
It's pretty good 😉
Give the board under Laporta, and the Team under Xavi time. It seemed like Barça was done, but look at them now. They have just won the league title with 14 points difference to second place Real Madrid, signed the biggest sponsor deal in football history and now have one of the youngest Top teams all around Europe. Imagine Messi coming back, imagine the scenes and the revenue. It’s a risky strategy but so far it has worked, gloriously.
Messi se fue a la MLS Europa League x2
Never knew that FC Barcelona was founded by a German-Swiss named Hans. Thank you for this very informative and entertaining video yet again.
Joan Gamper
This channel is amazing, I love learning about the business behind the football. Keep up the good work!
Very happy that you're here! 🙂
Rosell y Bartomeu es lo peor que le pasó al Barça, con ellos se fue Pep, ellos dejaron al Barcelona en la situación que encontró Laporta en 2021
Peores incluso que a Gaspart y Núñez, quienes se cargaron a Cruyff
GOOD but I don't like that Laporta gets put as the same level as the crooks of Rosell and Bartomeu. He is the one saving the club from those two that were sinking it. Grande Laporta, Visca el Barca!
Not a Barca fan but I don't know how people can hate Laporta. That's a man of character and conviction fighting for a dream which these idiots don't understand.
Laporta is the Spanish Saul goodman
@@ademeda better than that rat Bartomeu
Sandro Rosell was the one who basically kicked Guardiola out. That's when the FCB debacle began and Bartomeu made it worse. Two misfortunes for FC Barcelona.
Very informative video! This season is the first year I've been able to watch European club football. I kept hearing about Barcelona's debt and having to sell off a bunch of players and so, forth, but never knew why. This pretty much explained it all. Very nice video!
Glad we could answer a few questions for you! 🙂
Damn, elefants blaus is a name i haven't heard in a long while
As a Barca fan, we trust in Laporta. I believe in him. A lot of impatient rival fans don't understand how good he is. Especially because of Tebas being a baby. Instead of being charged for paying refs, we are about to make money from it. Laporta has slammed and tried to expose Tebas a lot, and taught him a lesson. So as of recent, Tebas has been acting calm, and nice towards Barca to prevent being exposed. I trust Xavi, I trust Laporta. No matte how much rival fans cry, I love this club, especially when it's run by the right people. VISCA BARCA.
Europa merchants
@@A_r78 better than being humiliated by an oil club
@@poisonskull3832 14 > 0
@@A_r78 doesn't change the fact that you lot got humiliated 😂
@@poisonskull3832Barcelona fans really can't talk about humiliation 😂
the spotify sponsorship alone would cover 40% of their debt; but we all know you don't spend everything in repaying loans, but to find other ways to reduce expenditures and increase income; in that sense Laporta has done a great job reducing salary mass (getting rid of no less than 17 players from the 2022 squad), calling up La Masia talent and bringing free transfers, all of which with players that came to play for less money than what was offered by EPL clubs (Kunde, Christensen, Raphina, Kesie, Lewandosky) Laporta has been and continues to be the greatest president Can Barca has ever had; his high risk high reward approach can be questionable, but he already brought two trophies this year; all of this in a league that does everything in their power to satisfy every craving some club in white has!!!! the guy loves the cub and defends it like no one else!!
Your comment should be pinned on top
Hope this comment of yours get seen by more.
@@finnbellFCB This video is misleading there is no rise. Spotify deal pays for nothing its the 25% TV future revenue sales is what Bacelona is banking on.
This type of videos are truly the best. Would like to see your analysis of Juventus financial troubles and their fall, more detailed video about Bayern's story and how they managed to become the force they are, and about German football in general.
Thank you very much for this well put together video 👏 and for sticking to the facts
Great work and great content
Wow, this video gives a fascinating glimpse into the complex world of Barcelona's business scene. It's incredible how economic dynamics shape such a vibrant city. Thanks for shedding light on this intriguing topic!
You're very welcome 🙂
With this video (my first )u have earned my follow, comment and like I love this channel
I feel patriotic, seeing a German have one of the best football/soccer based channels on KZhead. I mean, patriotic is maybe the wrong word, but I’m really happy. Especially for him. This content is so good!
Etwas Patriotismus hat noch niemandem geschadet :-)
I love this channel, is very good content told in a way that entertains and informs about interesting topics!!
Exactly what we're trying to do! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
@@AthleticInterestplease make a video on ipl
Was waiting for this one thanks Athletic Interest you made my day
The wait is... over! 😄
i dont come here for content i come for the voice. its like having eargasm while listening it.
I had no idea Barca took out another bank loan on top of what they were already owing to the banks. I hope it works because this might bankrupt the club in future
They will earn an extra 300 million euros per season from the stafium
So in a few seasons no benefits xd😅
250m extra can pay off both loans in 12 years if we use just the extra and we'd still rise with the same trajectory as we were in 2011 under Laporta. We can also include some non-extra revenue and make it 400m a year and we can pay it all off in less than 8 years and be completely debt free even while spending 100m every season on transfers.
@@mxn5132 the stadium will cost many millions so it would mean at least 3 or 4 years without benefits XD 😅, and your numbers are very wrong man XD but if you believe them be lying to yourself xd
Not an extra loan, they basically took a 1.5bn long term loan to clear all their short term debts as well as renovate a stadium. The good part of the deal is that the loan bank gets a certain percentage of the newly renovated and expanded stadium earnings as payment for 25 years after the official launch in 2025. The stadium is also expected to bring in 250million
Thats a great video with proper description and explanation!
Thanks Daniyal!
Not getting tired to praise your work. As always Unbelieveable content.
That's very kind! Thank you 🙂
Really love your video production,🔥🔥 Can you point me to where one can learn video editing like this??
I have seen lots of comment requesting for this video about Barcelona transfer and now You guys Delivered. Like always another great video.
We really do appreciate suggestions! 🙂
Great content !
Thanks very much 😃
Athletic Interest post a video, and we all watch, love this channel!
We're very grateful about that! Thank you 🙂
This channel is criminally underrated. Great job, athletic interest! One last thing, please don't ever change your narrator. His voice is gold.
In a job for life 😄
Thank you for another fantastic video! Looking forward to see what happens next with Barca.
It won't be boring, either way 😅
@@AthleticInterest so true!
This is a proper montage!
I could watch these videos all day . Elite content 👏🏼
A whole day! Wow 😄 Thanks so much, Miguel!
Guys, you’re amazing!!! What a job! What a video, man!! Everything is perfect! Congratulations, really !!!! 👏👏
You're so welcome! 🙌
Fantastic video this. Absolutely fascinating
Thanks a lot, Padarabinda! 😀
Such a masterpiece as always as a Barca fan I see the future is bright ❤️💙
Hi
Bruh, laporta is one heck of a big brain. Catalan is such a rich land. They gave birth to laporta, pep, etc.
This is so refreshing and beautifully put together
Thank you very much! 🙂
Goated channel with the best sports analysis✨🔝...Visca el Barcaaa!!!🔵🔴😍
Thanks very much! 🙌
Keep up the great work!🤝👊🇰🇪
*Barcelona is the most beautiful 😍 club of all! It's colours, it's history, it's stadium, it's culture, it's rise nd fall nd the most important of all, their football philosophy* 🙌💯❤️💙 My dream is to someday visit the Camp Nou nd see Leo Messi play at the stadium with my naked eyes...🥺
Barcelona was really great when Chelsea eliminated this cheating club.
@@TonyMontanaDSlol same relegation battling Chelsea.😂😂😂😂. All their success built on Russian blood money. 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
@@nightking8490 butt hurt much?
@@TonyMontanaDSlol without Russian blood money, Chelsea is nothing more than a championship club. As soon as your Russian daddy's money left, you were exposed as the fraud you were. 😂😂😂😂😂 You were lucky Tuchel saved u or else Chelsea would have been relegated. What a massive loss to football that it didn't happen. 😉
I love this channel. I just can't get enough of their content
We're really glad you're enjoying it! 🙂
As much as I don't follow sports, this channel is pure gold with the info
It's important for us that the videos are enjoyable for everyone, so that's great to hear
@@AthleticInterest and also informative👌🏽👌🏽
Excelente vídeo
Wish I had some of those economic levers 😅
6:01 the Sopranos moving into the picture caught me off guard 😂. btw, I for sure thought there would be some kind of segue from Barcelona to a Squarespace ad :D
I became a football pundit among my school friends, because of Athletic interest ♥️😜
Haha! Glad it gives you extra clout! 😄
Finally a video that i needed most
Here at last! 😅
Love your work!
Thanks a lot! 🙂
Love your videos - another utterly compelling tale from the wacky world of Sport!
It can be pretty wacky! 😄
There is a nice video to make about how the Messi era while very successful on the sport side was also the roots for a massive financial problem. Messi salary (was completely disproportional even compared to CR7) made other team players demand out of market salaries ending with a mass salary that was absurd.
If all this credit and interest cannot be paid the socos are wiped and it become property of some international bank. Nice video. Keep up the good work.
great video interest man👍
Amazing
never miss footy content from athletic interest
The latest instalment 😄
The reference to One Piece is incredible 🤣 Wealth, fame, power... Gol D. Roger had it all
People need to do their research on Laporta, he is just as slimy as Sandro and Barto. The hiring of pep and emergence of the golden generation saved his legacy in his first term. As for his 2nd term, he has wagered Barcelona's future for short term gain, only time will tell if this will backfire but you can already see it crumbling.
Strong men create prosperous times, prosperous times create weak men, weak men create bad times, bad times create strong men. The same cycle happend here unfortunately
I love this club and this channel!
And hopefully this video! 😄
Quality Content ❣
Thanks a lot, Hannan! 🙂
Cool works
10:58 absolutely love this part whenever the couthino toipic arises its every time talking abt vvd ,alisson thanks neymar thanks barca
didnt barca also sign griezmann for like 120m as well ?
Yes
This channel deserves more views
Agreed! 😅
I’m glad you guys did this video. I’ve been a cule for a long time now over a decade and I can genuinely admit that knowing our history like this helps understand the situation we are in today
Every foundation will be shaken, will see in the future if Barca's foundation is firm enough.
Finally a video about barcelona 😍
great video
Nice video Athletic Interest.
Thanks, Shubhojit! Have a great weekend
He is Genius tbh because he also did same in 2003 ❤
Thanks for this video
You're very welcome!
In short “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.”
I love the voice of the guy narrating Athletic Interest videos. Almost asmr xD
We've got crossover appeal 😄
This channel is 👏
The next video on IPL please, its media rights per match have topped the likes of premier league and mlb.
What's the outro music ?
"Cryff built the Cathedral. It's our job to maintain it"- Pep
Fantastico!
"Media Rights are your most valuable asset". I disagree with this one. This is like year 2023, not 2000s where things like this was true. Barcelona got like 160mil Euros from La Liga TV revenue, losing that one 'only' cut 40 mil from your total revenue per year. For a big club, this is basically a small change, a price of 1 elite player's wages or a price on mid player's contract. This risk is not as big as some people and medias want you to think, as it only cut about 7,5% of Barca's revenues IN COVID-19 pandemic, which was made small because there are basically few revenues in matches. In normal state, this would probably cost Barca only 4-5% of their revenue. The thing is, big clubs didn't depend on TV rights solely anymore, they diversify in matchdays revenue, UCL, UCL TV rights, and many others. Barca's main problem was the salary cap and as you said, failed transfers, not their revenue at all.
Bro really started the video with the "Wealth, fame, power. Gol D. Roger..." 😭😭
Another banger 🔥 🔥🔥🔥
Now that's a review! 😄
Que videazo
if i was laporta i would do : 1) get a loan of 1.35 bilion with installments by 35 years 2) pay all the current debt using that new long term debt
The decisions Laoprta's making r either make or break! We might be the best again or we might go back to the slums again! 🥺🙌❤️💙
Do you know winning titles and playing well generate money?
@@favourosinachi3679 Nd u know selling parts of Barca makes the investment companies take a large chunk of it?! 🤷🏻♂️
So, if we end up as Chelsea without results then we're gonna rot with another 1B$ debt that might be unpayable!!
@@reader5939 Atleast we will be in many places no matter how much they take
@@reader5939 Which is not gonna happen you know it🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️✌️🫢
As a Barça memeber I’ve found the video to be quite fair. Well done! In the first part I may also explained why it was more than a club during the dictarorship and beyond.
Strange poltical circle for such a massive club
Big fan of Athletic Interest but very less videos updated on this channel is frustrating
The best videos
Another Excellent Piece…Laporta is our unSung Hero man’s here to stay 🔥
This sounds like an episode of Sucesssion. The Spotify angle shows just how crazy modern football ownership has become, the Spotify billionaire couldn't get enough cash together to buy Arsenal, then the maybe 5th best team in the Premiership. Imagine owning a ubiquitous Internet company and not being able to stroll in and buy a not quite top football club. So now he's investing in Barca. Could be a good move.
Que buen canal
Biggest club in the world. The stuff this club has to deal with all while competing with Real Madrid its insane.
Very good content.
Thanks a lot! 🙂
The only reason because Laporta left first is because he couldn't be president again after 2 mandates. That's a rule that he himself impose to the club to avoid situations like Nuñez being 20 years in charge. We would have voted him again though.
Laporta will be the lifelong president of Barcelona SA. Owned by Goldaman Sach.