When Bayern Munich’s manager, Julian Nagelsmann, was asked about Barcelona’s business in the transfer window, he had this to say about the Catalans.
“The only club that has no money but buys every player they want. I do not know how. It’s kind of crazy.”
This has been the burning question that has pervaded the minds of fans and critics alike. But if we look closely, Barcelona president Joan Laporta, who earlier mentioned that the club is financially ruined, has started to move blocks by selling the domestic television rights and a part of Barca Studios which has seen an influx of over €600 million.
However, this is all a recent endeavour to sign players like Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde, and Raphinha with the sole aim of realizing Xavi’s vision for the club. But after the previous season, Catalans were all over the place looking for financial solutions, which also included the option of turning the Camp Nou into a wedding venue for as little as €1600.
They also gave the fans a chance to play at the stadium for a mere €300. All these antics and escapades only denoted the seriousness of the club in getting out of its financial ruins.
But the worst of the lot has come up recently. Famous Football YouTuber Daniel Colosimo who runs colo99 uploaded a video of Tottenham Hotspur-bound Destiny Udogie, showcasing his skills as a budding defender. Udogie, who played in Serie A for Udinese, had caught the eye of Antonio Conte and before someone could swoop in, Conte was up to the task and brought him to England.
In this 4-minute long video, Udogie’s ferocious abilities as a defender are on display. He looks like the missing piece of Conte’s defensive line. The video slowly gained traction, and the user decided to monetize it. But when he went further with his decision, he was shocked to see that FC Barcelona has claimed its copyright and had started monetizing it in some territories.
To his horror, the user could do nothing but post the screenshot of this appalling act on Twitter. The desperateness to find any means to mint money was clear. FC Barcelona is looking at any likely avenue to rake in money regardless of the contents of the video. Udogie has no connection with the Catalans and to claim a monetizing right over someone else’ Intellectual Property is now a new low for Laporta.
There is no record of how many such videos of others has Barcelona monetized, but this sure looks like a trend that could land them in bigger trouble. But desperate times call for desperate measures and it looks like someone up the hierarchy is coming up with obnoxious ideas to put the club back on the map.
The means might be wrong, but the club is looking at results, especially when La Liga has rained down upon the Catalans with a new summon.
The Spanish federation of football has clarified that until the club balances its wage bills, no new signings or the two contract renewals of Ousmane Dembele and Sergi Roberto will be registered. Adding to Barcelona’s long list of troubles is also Frenkie de Jong, who is still waiting for his unpaid wages from the previous season.
The battle is long and ardent, but Barcelona is not in a mood to be trifled with. They are coming at everything with whatever means possible.
