German fund lever ready for Barca to pull
An intense day in the offices of Arístides Maillol. Like almost all of them in recent weeks. The start of La Liga is approaching and Barça must earn 60 million euros for the sale of 16% of Barça Studios, the amount that they have withheld in LaLiga and that does not allow them, for the moment, to register either the players signed or those renewed.
An agreement to sell this 16% of Barça Studios has been in the works for days, and yesterday much progress was made and it was practically sealed after negotiations led by the economic vice-president, Eduard Romeu, in which the entire economic team at the club took part.
The agreement with a German investment fund is expected to be announced between tomorrow and Friday. Barça will receive 60 million euros and will be able to start registering players.
Barça sold 24.5% of Barça Studios last summer to Orpheus Media and another 24.5% to Socios.com. Each company was to pay 100 million euros. It was stipulated that they would pay €10 million each up front and then three instalments of €30 million each. This summer, Barça was to pay 60 million euros in these concepts according to the Viability Plan it presented to LaLiga. The two companies requested a deferral of payment until the end of the year and it was then that LaLiga withheld the 60 million euros from Barça.
The club, with the approval of both Orpheus and Socios.com, sold to a German fund the part corresponding to the 30 million not paid by both companies, so that from now on this fund will have 16% of Barça Studios, while Orpheus will keep 16.5% and Socios.com another 16.5%. The rest will continue to belong to FC Barcelona.
