and Messi in a recent interview. Photo: Filed.
Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu said making the Spanish
and European champions financially sustainable is his biggest
concern.
Luis Enrique's Barca continue to dominate on the field, and will
contest the Club World Cup final against River Plate in Japan on
Sunday.
But Bartomeu believes ensuring the financial stability of the club
is crucial to maintaining on field success.
"We have to make money to compete with the big European
clubs. This is the great challenge for the club," Bartomeu said to
Spanish news outlet SPORT.
"Our goal in the next six years in office is getting the club to be
sustainable. In football, it already is. We won the treble and did
not lose money.
"But FIFA only pays €4.5million to the winner of the Club World
Cup, which seems insufficient. That is one of the things we
must talk to [FIFA] about."
Speaking of FIFA, Bartomeu believes the governing body's
punishment of the club - a 12-month transfer ban and a fine of
450,000 Swiss Francs in 2014 - was misguided.
"The punishment only ended up hurting our grassroots,"
Bartomeu said.
"We didn't sign anyone and we won the treble."
The transfer ban only served to highlight the importance of
Lionel Messi to the Champions League title holders, who
Bartomeu said follows a long line of world-class talent.
"Johan Cruyff, as a player, was great and recognised state wide,
as a coach, he stood as a benchmark in Europe, as did
Ronaldinho as a player," Bartomeu said.
"Then, with Messi, Barca is already the number one on the
planet and with Neymar, continuity and the future is secured.
"My wish is that the club is admired throughout the world, a
global club. [Michel] Platini once told me that when he played
football, the club was not a global reference. With luck, that has
changed now."
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