Barcelona Narrowly Avoids Champions League Ban After Financial Struggles

As of October 2025, Barcelona has come a long way from the financial troubles it faced under the previous administration. Under the leadership of President Joan Laporta, the club has implemented a series of "economic levers" and smart transfer maneuvers to help it recover from the dire financial situation it inherited.

Laporta recently revealed that the use of these financial levers nearly resulted in Barcelona being suspended from the UEFA Champions League for a year. The club had to negotiate with UEFA to avoid this severe sporting sanction, ultimately reducing a €80 million fine to just €15 million.

Laporta explained that the levers, which involved the transfer of assets such as a 25% stake in the club's television rights for €600 million, were necessary to prevent an "extraordinary outflow of members" and alleviate the financial crisis the club was facing when Laporta's board took over four and a half years ago. While UEFA initially claimed this violated financial fair play rules, Laporta defended the levers as a temporary transfer of assets that would be recovered over time.

Thanks to these efforts, Barcelona has managed to stabilize its finances and avoid the worst-case scenario of being excluded from Europe's premier club competition. The road ahead remains challenging, but the club is now in a better position to compete both on and off the pitch.