Barcelona have announced a net profit of €304m (£263m) for the 2022/23 season, with the news coming on the same day that the club was charged with bribery regarding the Negreira case.
Overall operating income was €1.259bn, while operating expenses were €1.165bn.
In both commercial (€350m) and merchandising (€100m) streams, Barcelona enjoyed record revenue figures. Sponsorship deals also raked in €200m, boosted by signing up 20 new partners. As previously confirmed, the club raised €400m by selling 15% of audiovisual rights to La Liga broadcasts.
Net debt has fallen since the previous year, now at €552m from €680m. A fall in net debt has also led to a drop in the club’s overall debt. It does not include any of the separate financing agreements funding the Espai Barca development of around €1.45bn.
A summary from the club explained: "The board has assessed as positive the final balance of this financial year, in which it has also deepened the measures to contain and reduce expenditure that are being carried out since the beginning of the current mandate [in 2021]."
Barcelona are predicting a drop in both revenue and profits for 2023/24, falling to €859m and €11m respectively. The primary reason for that is the temporary move to the Lluis Companys while renovation work on Camp Nou is ongoing. The stadium, formerly home to Espanyol until 2009, is vastly smaller and therefore much less lucrative in terms of gate receipts and matchday revenue.
Barca president Joan Laporta recently claimed the club's financial recovery, which has hamstrung them in recent seasons, will be compete sooner than originally expected.
"We are improving in all aspects," he said. "We all think that we have a very good squad this year. Congratulations to everyone who has sporting responsibilities. We have made a lot of efforts to be able to register all the players. We think it is worth the effort we have made.
"As we have a lot of confidence in the management we are doing, the club will be financially recovered sooner than expected in the strategic plan. If the team works, the club notices it. It is very important that the sporting part works because it helps everything."
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This article was originally published on 90min as Barcelona announce enormous net profit for 2022/23.