FC Barcelona Will Lose Millions Of Dollars For Not Hitting This Target

FC Barcelona will lose out on million of dollars for not securing second place in La Liga according to RAC1, which cited anonymous sources.

The Blaugrana began the current Spanish top flight season as defending champions and went unbeaten until Matchday 11.

A 2-1 home defeat to bitter rivals Real Madrid at the Montjuic Stadium proved to be a turning point, however, with a second half Jude Bellingham brace delivering a hammer blow which Barca never really recovered from.

Barca played catch up with Los Blancos and surprise contenders Girona for the rest of the term, with a 4-2 loss to their Catalan neighbours at the mentioned ground – which was a first victory over them in the history of the City Group-owned outfit – another huge bump in the road.

After Xavi announced his June 30 resignation at the end of January, though, Barca then embarked on an unbeaten run.

As Girona stuttered, it allowed them to temporarily regain second place by a slight margin while Madrid closed in on the title through a comfortable points advantage.

Last Saturday’s clash in Montilivi was essentially a battle to be runner up, yet another catastrophic display resulted in a repeat 4-2 loss where Xavi ranted about players not performing to their level or that expected of the club.

At the same time Madrid was handed its record-extending 36th domestic championship, Girona sealed Champions League football in another historic first.

It also snatched back second place, which will be costly for cash-strapped Barca if the table finishes as is.

This is because the top two spots in La Liga guarantee qualification to the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia at the turn of 2025, and a considerable payday.

According to RAC1, there will be additional financial ramifications for Barca in the way of television rights revenue.

The radio station says that the difference between finishing second or third is around $7.5 million (€7 million), which is money that President Joan Laporta and the board can’t afford to lose.

All Barca can do is win its remaining four matches starting with Monday’s hosting of Real Sociedad, while hoping that Girona – which is a point in front – takes its eye off the ball.