Financial Struggles Threaten FC Barcelona Women's Team as Key Players Depart
FC Barcelona women's team faces financial difficulties and player retention issues in 2025 amid strict regulations.
Key Points
- • The team requires approximately one million euros to balance its budget.
- • Key players have departed, including Ingrid Engen and Bruna Vilamala.
- • Financial issues are affecting player contract renewals and youth development.
- • Management challenges arise from the loss of key figures like Markel Zubizarreta.
The FC Barcelona women's team is grappling with significant financial difficulties in 2025, largely attributed to stringent fair play regulations and a troubling trend of player departures. As the team faces a crisis, management and supporters alike express growing concerns about the future stability and performance of the women's section.
Reports indicate that the team has more departures than arrivals this summer, with critical players such as Ingrid Engen leaving for Olympique de Lyon and Bruna Vilamala transferring to Club América in Mexico. The club is now in urgent need of approximately one million euros to balance its budget, which previously stood at around 15 million euros, making it self-sufficient until the recent downturn. This financial strain comes as the men's team also struggles, raising pressures on the women's section to maintain fiscal discipline while competing effectively.
The situation is exacerbated by the loss of vital personnel in the club’s management structure, including Markel Zubizarreta, who played a key role in developing the women’s team. His departure stemmed from frustrations over management interference in his decision-making processes, further complicating the team’s stability during this tumultuous period.
Currently, the squad features 18 players, with nine set to have contract renewals in 2026, including renowned athletes Alexia Putellas and Mapi León. The financial constraints are impacting contract negotiations, as rival teams offer significantly higher salaries, making retention increasingly challenging.
Moreover, the club faces difficulties at its youth academy, where the allure of more lucrative offers from other leagues is luring young talent away from Barcelona. This presents a double-edged sword as the team must not only retain current players but also cultivate new talent amidst financial limitations.
As the FC Barcelona women's team attempts to navigate these financial and managerial hurdles, the overall implications for player retention and future recruitment could reshape the landscape of women's football within the club. The urgency for strategic fiscal management, alongside proactive player engagement, becomes ever more critical in ensuring the team's future success.