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Barca's debt mountain

The election of Barcelona's president by club members is widely admired, but it also brings problems in its train.  This is particularly the case when the club faces a financial crisis.

Last week Barcelona's accounts revealed that its debt mountain had increased to £1.6 billion.  There is at present no elected president as the last one stood down in October for a variety of reasons, one being tensions with Lionel Messi.

There are three candidates to succeed him, but the vote has been delayed because of the pandemic and may not even take place on March 7th, leaving a vacuum at the top of the club.

The spectator ban has hit Barcelona particularly hard given the size of the Nou Camp and the reliance on match day revenue.   The fall in tourism also hits the club as its museum is a popular attraction.

Barcelona could be down £440m over 15 months if the spectator ban extends to the end of the season, as seems likely.

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