Worry Financial Condition, Barca Postponed Payment Of Player Salaries

Martin Braithwaite Barcelona postponed his payroll (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Barcelona interim president Carlos Tusquets said the club would postpone the payment of a player's salary scheduled for January amid what he described as a worrying financial situation.

The Catalan club's finances have been badly hit by the COVID-19 crisis.

Last week Barca announced they had reached an agreement with the first-team squad for a pay cut in a bid to adjust to the new La Liga salary cap.

"In January we could not make the payment of salaries ...," Tusquets told radio station RAC1 as quoted by Reuters on Thursday.

"The players have two payrolls: one in January and one in July. We have postponed January payments and other payments, such as bonuses for winning trophies."

Tusquets gave no indication of when the pending payments will be made.

However, he said that the club's financial situation was manageable until the end of the season, and that things would change when spectators were allowed back into their Camp Nou stadium.

"The agreement we have reached will allow us to get through to the end of the season without financial problems. This season has been safe," he said.

"The economic situation is worrying. Very bad, but we have hope. When the field is opened, we will get 220 million euros (around Rp3.8 trillion) without doing anything, and that will go up to 320 million (euros) thanks to sponsors.

"Meanwhile, we continue to spend money. It is a terrible situation but when the stadium comes back into play, we will start to get money back."