Revealed, Nike And Barcelona Have Been Working Together Without A Contract Since 2016

Barcelona jersey illustration (Instagram @fcbarcelona)

JAKARTA - Nike has been producing kits for Barcelona since 1998. However, since 2016 they are not under contract at all. Well, how come?

According to Spanish news outlet EFE, there is already a pre-contract agreement between the two parties, but not a final agreement.

This happens for various reasons. Starting from differences of opinion, the COVID-19 pandemic and the election of a new president. The contract delay caused tension between the two parties. But now there is hope that a deal can be reached.

In May 2016, then-president Josep Maria Bartomeu announced the extension of Barcelona's contract with Nike until 2028, although the then-deal ran until 2018.

As for Nike currently paying Camp Nou 105 million euros per season, which can reach 155 million with variables.

Nike helps Barcelona

According to sources close to the negotiation process, the deal agreed in 2016 included a cash transfer from Nike to Barcelona to fund the Catalan club.

When the time came to sign the contract in July 2018, there were disagreements and there were complications as the two sides tried to work out the details of how profits would be distributed between Nike and the club.

The two were about to sign a contract just before the pandemic, but the arrival of COVID-19 caused it all to fall apart. The deal was further delayed when the club held a new presidential election that year.

The consequence of all this is that to this day the clauses of the contract have become much more open to interpretation than is usually the case in such agreements. As a result, tension ensued.

Laporta trying to complete a deal

There are talks between Barcelona president Joan Laporta and Nike to reach an agreement on the contract. However, nothing has been resolved so far.

The American company is unhappy that a concrete deal has not been reached, especially given the financial crisis caused by the pandemic.

Sources say the relationship between Nike and Barca is not good and that the Oregon-based company believes they are paying above the odds in today's market.