Crazy! Barcelona flies players 8,000 km in 32 hrs for $5M, plays two matches?!

Iti911

Other teams, when they have no matches, focus on resting and preparing for the next game. They definitely wouldn't go out of their way to play friendly matches with other teams. However, Barcelona thinks differently. Instead of letting players rest, they flew to the other side of the world for a friendly match just 32 hours after finishing a La Liga game. What's the intention behind this?

After playing a La Liga match against Almeria on December 21 at 2 AM, Barcelona immediately boarded a plane to the United States for a commercial friendly against Club America from Mexico. The kick-off time for this friendly was 10 PM on December 22, meaning there was only a 32-hour gap between the two matches. The journey from Barcelona, Spain, to Dallas, USA, was a staggering 8,354 kilometers, with a 7-hour time difference, placing a tremendous burden on the players.

Why would Barcelona subject their players to such hardship? The financial situation at Barcelona is dire, and this commercial friendly can generate $5 million in revenue, desperately needed to assist in registering a talented forward, Roque. Due to financial problems and various restrictions in La Liga, every €100 earned only provides €45 for new operations, making the $5 million crucial for Barcelona to register Roque properly. If they skip this friendly, Barcelona will face the dilemma of having bought a player they can't use, making their situation even worse.

Seeing Barcelona in such a predicament is truly lamentable. A few years ago, Barcelona was a big spender in the transfer market, but now, their financial crisis is partly a result of mismanagement.

Samiksha

Capitalists, driven by profit, often fail to treat players as individuals. Hence, it is said that the wealth amassed by capitalists is essentially the hard-earned money of others.

Indra55

I hope that the talented forward Roque, whom they've acquired, will contribute to the gradual improvement of the entire team and the overall operations in the future.

Jiger955

This approach isn't beneficial for the players. Playing with exhausted bodies, how can they deliver good performances? This kind of arrangement has miscalculated.

Kabir903

Barcelona is indeed facing financial difficulties, largely attributed to the former president Bartomeu. During his tenure, he took various loans and made high-priced player acquisitions. Unfortunately, the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced the earning capacity of major European football clubs. Barcelona found itself burdened with substantial loan interests, high player salaries, and the added challenge of some of Bartomeu's expensive acquisitions turning out to be underperformers, unable to be sold at a profit. The situation forced the club into desperate sales, leading to an invisible shrinkage of Barcelona's assets. Ultimately, even the historic renewal of Lionel Messi's contract became impossible.

The newly elected president, Laporta, had a tough task ahead. He had to negotiate player salary reductions, bid farewell to Messi due to financial constraints, and explore every opportunity to generate revenue. Barcelona has faced challenging times in recent years, and the on-field results have not been as expected. To cope, there have been discussions about potentially engaging in match-fixing to generate income. However, this is not a publicly accepted source of revenue, so the club must explore various commercial activities. With the current wage cap in La Liga, teams facing financial struggles see a lower cap, making it challenging to register players with high salaries. In order to support the team, players need to work hard to contribute to the club's revenue. It's a tough situation for Barcelona, but efforts are being made to navigate through these challenges.

Jiten171

In recent years, Barcelona has consistently faced severe financial challenges, hindering their normal operations and player registrations. The decision to participate in this commercial friendly match can be seen as an attempt to address the current financial crisis; however, it creates a vicious cycle. To overcome financial difficulties, the players are engaged in matches within a short timeframe, potentially impacting their physical well-being due to fatigue and jet lag. Such factors may affect their performance and increase the risk of injuries. Player injuries can significantly impact the team's overall strength, leading to suboptimal results on the field. Poor performance exacerbates financial issues, perpetuating a vicious cycle that continues to unfold.