Who is tricking us, Joan Laporta or Victor Font?
In the space of just a few days, we have been sold two totally opposite versions of Barça's financial situation. While Víctor Font assured us that the club will close the financial year 2022-23 with more than 200 million euros of losses (for a total of one billion in three years), Laporta presented a profit of 304 million and revealed that the serious financial crisis inherited will be reversed sooner than expected. One of the two is lying. Or manipulating, which is worse. Who is fooling us? At the (once again telematic) assembly on 22 October, we should find out for sure. The members, who have been in a state of hibernation for a long time, deserve to know the economic reality of the club. That is why they are the masters of the club. Or not... because there are those who are already sowing doubts about the real ownership of the club with so many agreements/pacts/contracts with investment funds.
Víctor Font, who is the only real opposition to Laporta, only three months ago, in his usual review of the 'state of the Blaugrana nation', already warned that Barça was, economically, "worse than two years ago". The levers, according to Font, have only been used to make up the accounts and make signings. Font also explained that the regular income, those that make a club truly sustainable, has not improved enough to compensate for the increase in expenses.
Laporta, however, in his infinite optimism, boasted about his management. The president insists that he has avoided Barça's ruin while at the same time building a champion team. In fact, the club announced last Thursday, in a public statement, that the 2022-23 season closed with a net profit of 304 million euros (higher than expected in the budget), with record revenues in all business lines, which has reduced the club's net debt from 680 million to 552 million. This debt, obviously, does not take into account the 1.5 billion euros of the Espai Barça which, supposedly, will be financed with the own resources generated by the new stadium (estimated at more than 200 million euros per year). However, the 400 million euros from the leveraging of the television rights of La Liga were contemplated as income.
All these positive figures announced by Laporta's team contrast with the catastrophic projections of Víctor Font. I want to believe that the former presidential candidate is not attacking for the sake of attacking, that his claims are based on thorough analysis... but they are so far removed from the official figures that the question, I insist, is unavoidable: Who is fooling us?
