Barcelona have found it difficult to get to grips with La Liga’s strict Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules in recent years.

The strict financial regulation in Spanish football has greatly reduced the economic muscle of Barcelona. In addition, they have faced several sanctions for breaching the FFP laws.

In another such case, La Liga has recently imposed an €800,000 fine on Barcelona for breaching the regulations thrice during the course of the 2021/22 financial year.

This has been reported by ARA (h/t GOAL Spain), which suggests Barcelona have been fined based on three contracts handed out to players during the 2021/22 financial year.

One of them was the signing of Dani Alves. The veteran defender had joined the club at the end of 2020 on the lowest wage possible and played for Barça during the second half of the campaign. But La Liga has deemed his signing a direct breach of their FFP policies.

Secondly, the Catalans have been penalised for the signing of Andreas Christensen. Although the defender joined the club in the summer of 2022, his signature was considered a part of last season and as such, the club are facing a penalty.

Another sanction has come in the form of Ronald Araujo’s contract extension. The Uruguayan international signed a new deal with Barcelona several months ago, and even though the club have not been able to register the new contract, they have already been handed out a fine by La Liga.

All three sanctions amount to a figure of around €800,000. Naturally, Barcelona have appealed against all three sanctions and are seeking definitive resolutions against each of them, which could mean yet another long legal battle between the Catalans and the Spanish top flight.

The report further suggests that La Liga has imposed limitations on the use of levers. Although Barcelona or any other club will able to utilise economic levers in order to generate revenue, only 5% of the fees can be used for transfers and contracts – a regulation that will once again impact Barça and their objectives in the new year. (Agency report)

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