By OkayGoal 
For years, Barcelona Femení was seen as one of the best teams in Europe, if not the best. Some even considered them the best women’s soccer team out there. They have managed to bring in revenue and keep their successful run going for years. Instead of FC Barcelona celebrating them and showing some support, they have decided to punish them for mistakes they didn’t commit. The financial situation at the club has been horrible for a long time, and the club has already made its decision: they will sacrifice the women’s team to save the men’s. Let’s dive into it.
What Is Happening At Barcelona Femení?
The financial situation at Barcelona has been horrible for a long time, but it didn’t affect Barcelona Femení before. Now, they are in the thick of it. This is all due to the club’s debt. Right now, Barcelona has a debt that passes one billion dollars. Their issues escalated with the amount of money they spent on wages because they kept exceeding what they were allowed to spend. Unfortunately, La Liga’s regulations don’t separate between teams run by the club. The rules apply to everyone, meaning that Barcelona Femení also has to struggle financially.
Barcelona Femení Losing Important Players
Barcelona Femení ’s fans started worrying when they saw how the team kept losing important players. They have already lost Fridolina Rolfo, who signed with Manchester United on a free transfer. Losing a player as important as Rolfo because of her salary was a tough blow. They also lost Ellie Roebuck, who went on to join Aston Villa. Both players made the move after their contracts were mutually terminated. Then there is Ingrid Engen, left to join OL Lyonnes.
The team has also sold Jana Fernandez to London City Lionesses. Bruna Vilamala joined Club América. Everton managed to sign Martina Fernandez as well. In the midst of all these departures, Barcelona Femeni only managed to sign one player. They brought in Laia Aleixandri on a free transfer, coming from Manchester City. The team is losing players, but they aren’t replacing them. Currently, they only have 17 first-team players. This shouldn’t be happening to a team that has been seen for a long time as one of the most dominant women’s soccer clubs worldwide.
Putting the Men’s Team First
It’s clear more than ever that FC Barcelona is making the men’s team its priority. Barcelona Femení are the ones affected the most by La Liga’s financial fair play rules. After all, they are the ones losing players. Not to mention that the club is confident that it will manage to register the men’s team’s new signings. What about the women’s team?
Barcelona Femení has been bringing in a lot of revenue for the club in recent years. They have been winning one title after another, demonstrating their success. In fact, they have been more successful than the men’s team several times. Just last season, they won three titles, including Liga F. Additionally, they reached the final of the Champions League, which is something the men’s team hasn’t managed to achieve for quite some time now. Aside from last season, Barcelona Femení also won the Champions League three times. They won Liga F six consecutive times as well.
Barcelona Femení Has Been Generating Revenue
FC Barcelona has no one to blame but themselves for how they handled everything going on with the men’s team. They can’t hide behind an excuse such as saying that Barcelona Femeni wasn’t successful financially, because this isn’t the case.
In 2024, Forbes reported that Barcelona Femeni generated a “revenue of $14.6 million.” This puts them in the first place when it comes to the earnings made by European women’s soccer clubs. But even being one of the women’s soccer teams that brings in the most money isn’t enough. The report also described women’s soccer as “the most valuable women’s game in the world.” FC Barcelona isn’t treating its women’s team like they are valuable. They are treating them like they are an afterthought.
The Future Isn’t Bright
Since the club was ready to sell several important players, there is nothing that would stop them from selling more. There are a lot of players at Barcelona Femení whose contracts will expire next year. Some of the names that the team could lose by then include Alexia Putellas and Caroline Graham Hansen. Losing these players could be the final blow.
No club that competes in many cups, such as Barcelona Femeni, would be able to go on an entire season with such few players. What about injuries? What about suspensions? Not to mention finding the same success they’ve had in years past.
While a lot of players have been with the team for years, no one would blame them if they decided to abandon what is close to being a sinking ship. Loyalty is definitely great, but the club has already let go of good players. Who says they won’t do the same to those remaining? Before, the team was a dream for many players. But it might become difficult to convince players to stay or bring in new names if you can’t be treated fairly.
Barcelona Femení Doesn’t Deserve This
The situation at Barcelona Femení is an unfair reality. The women’s team shouldn’t be paying for the mistakes of the men’s side. They should be treated equally instead of being sacrificed. Just when you think that women’s soccer has improved, something like this happens. La Liga should separate the financials of both sides instead of tying them together. It’s terrible that the club’s management is playing a role in driving a team that changed women’s soccer to the ground. The question is, what more should women’s teams do to be treated fairly?
Image via @fcbfemini
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