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For years, Barcelona Femen\u00ed was seen as one of the best teams in Europe, if not the best. Some even considered them the best women\u2019s 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\u2019t 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\u2019s team to save the men\u2019s. Let\u2019s dive into it.<\/p>\n
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\nThe financial situation at Barcelona has been horrible for a long time, but it didn\u2019t affect Barcelona Femen\u00ed before. Now, they are in the thick of it. This is all due to the club\u2019s 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\u2019s regulations don\u2019t separate between teams run by the club. The rules apply to everyone, meaning that Barcelona Femen\u00ed also has to struggle financially.<\/p>\n
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Barcelona Femen\u00ed Losing Important Players<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nBarcelona Femen\u00ed \u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
The team has also sold Jana Fernandez to London City Lionesses. Bruna Vilamala joined Club Am\u00e9rica<\/a>. 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\u2019t replacing them. Currently, they only have 17 first-team players. This shouldn\u2019t be happening to a team that has been seen for a long time as one of the most dominant women\u2019s soccer clubs worldwide<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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Putting the Men\u2019s Team First<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nIt\u2019s clear more than ever that FC Barcelona is making the men\u2019s team its priority. Barcelona Femen\u00ed are the ones affected the most by La Liga\u2019s 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\u2019s team\u2019s new signings. What about the women\u2019s team?<\/p>\n
Barcelona Femen\u00ed 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\u2019s 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\u2019s team hasn\u2019t managed to achieve for quite some time now. Aside from last season, Barcelona Femen\u00ed also won the Champions League three times. They won Liga F six consecutive times as well.<\/p>\n
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Barcelona Femen\u00ed Has Been Generating Revenue<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nFC Barcelona has no one to blame but themselves for how they handled everything going on with the men\u2019s team. They can\u2019t hide behind an excuse such as saying that Barcelona Femeni wasn\u2019t successful financially, because this isn\u2019t the case.<\/p>\n
In 2024, Forbes reported that<\/a> Barcelona Femeni generated a \u201crevenue of $14.6 million.\u201d This puts them in the first place when it comes to the earnings made by European women\u2019s soccer clubs. But even being one of the women\u2019s soccer teams that brings in the most money<\/a> isn\u2019t enough. The report also described women\u2019s soccer as \u201cthe most valuable women\u2019s game in the world.\u201d FC Barcelona isn\u2019t treating its women\u2019s team like they are valuable. They are treating them like they are an afterthought.<\/p>\n
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The Future Isn\u2019t Bright<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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 Femen\u00ed 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019ve had in years past.<\/p>\n
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\u2019t 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\u2019t be treated fairly.<\/p>\n
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Barcelona Femen\u00ed Doesn\u2019t Deserve This<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nThe situation at Barcelona Femen\u00ed is an unfair reality. The women\u2019s team shouldn\u2019t be paying for the mistakes of the men\u2019s side. They should be treated equally instead of being sacrificed. Just when you think that women\u2019s soccer has improved, something like this happens. La Liga should separate the financials of both sides instead of tying them together. It\u2019s terrible that the club\u2019s management is playing a role in driving a team that changed women\u2019s soccer to the ground. The question is, what more should women\u2019s teams do to be treated fairly?<\/p>\n