Barcelona Record Profit and Consider Stadium Future

FC Barcelona have announced an after tax profit of €32m ($42.5m) for the 2012-13 season and will make a decision on the future of the Nou Camp by the end of the year.

It marks the second consecutive year that the Catalan giants have posted a positive financial statement and is a €3m ($4m) increase on initial predicitions.

In the 2011-12 season the La Liga champions posted profits of €48.8m ($64.8m) following losses of €9.3m ($12.3m) and €83m ($110.2m) in the previous campaigns.

Economic vice-president Javier Faus said: “For the first time in the history of the club we are getting a stabilisation between wages and sporting success.

“From the economic point of view, therapy it is much more important to stabilise wage spending… maintained between €200 million and €210 million per year… than the cost of signings.”

Faus also added that the club were ‘moderately satisfied’ with the results.

Nou Camp future

The reduction of the club’s debt has been an on-going project and is vital for the club’s stadium plans.

In September, cheap Barcelona’s members voted to approve the staging of a referendum to decide the future of the stadium.

The club will either move or redevelop the Nou Camp in a bid to raise up to €25m ($33.2m) per year through match day revenues.

Faus added: “We have three proposals on the table, some more advanced than others but all with leading companies.

“The options are to build a new stadium on the current site, build a new stadium in another location or reform the current stadium. In any case, the plan needs to be feasible in the urban, technical and economic areas.

“We are looking to November or December to present some proposals.”

In 2012-13 Barcelona reduced its net debt by €3m ($4m) to €331m ($439.3m).

Faus admitted the figure would have been €284m ($337m) if Barcelona had not captured Brazilian star Neymar from Santos.

Barcelona aim to reduce its net debt to €200m ($265.4m) by 2015-16 – three years ago the club’s debt stood at €420m ($557.3m).