Exclusive: The promise which Barcelona have not made good on

August 17, 2016 was a very happy day at FC Barcelona. The team beat Sevilla in the Spanish Super Cup and lifted their first trophy of the season. Euphoria went from the stands to the presidential box. And various directors came down to the dressing room to congratulate the staff and players for the trophy. They even promised a special prize for winning it - the players have bonuses for La Liga the Champions League and the Copa del Rey written into their contracts.

The problem is that someone caught up in the euphoria of the moment said that this prize would be delivered before January 31, 2017. That date has passed but the prize has not arrived. Obviously for the players it is not that much of an issue, but for some first team employees it could be a useful sum of money.

Whoever said it would be paid before January 31 should have not made that pledge; now it is up to the club to sort out the payment sooner rather than later. To quieten down complaints about delays Barcelona have used a tactic in recent years of giving out gifts - last season it was a Hublot watch and this year an iPhone 7.