With the application of La Liga's new FFP rule on player salaries, Barca's first-team wage bill stood at €386m in June, according to Marca.
Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruyff have worked round the clock to slash down the humongous first-team wage bill they inherited from the Josep Maria Bartomeu administration. High-earning players like Antoine Griezmann, Philippe Coutinho and Lionel Messi were strategically axed from the team.
Thus, Barcelona's first-team wage bill is good enough to escape any Financial Fair Play sanctions if it were down to just that.
Barca have two big problems causing them serious trouble with FFP.
1. Barca sections. Barcelona prides itself in being more than a club. Indeed Barca is one of the strongest Sports brands in Europe with superb Basketball, hockey and handball teams. Barca Femeni are also the best women's team in Europe. Barca spends €91m on these sections and that raises their wagebill to €477m.
2. Returning loanees. On July 1, Barca loanees returned to the club following the expiration of their loan spells. The wage bill of the returning loanees stood at €54m. That increased Barca's total wage bill to €531m.
This is why Barca have been trying to offload most of the loanees. The first player to go was Samuel Umtiti whose contract was ripped up. But Barca still have a long way to go.
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