The FC Barcelona and the powerful industry that comes: Barça Corporate

It is not secret that the economic recession because of the pandemia by Covid-19 affected to countries and organisations, big and small. The big European clubs were not exentos of this problematic, but the FC Barcelona has an ace under the sleeve.

Four units of business conform the imponente project of the Barcelona institution, the Barça Corporate. It develops at present to rescue to the team of the economic crisis and award him tranquility in this regard. The idea was born in 2015 under the mandate of Josep Maria Bartomeu, and aims for generating greater profits to the institution from the present.

"It treated to give him a juridical form to these four projects, creating the Barça Corporate, and to look for a strategic partner that inject now the economic resources that the club does not have by fault of the crisis and that they are necessary for his growth. We mount a strategy of business, present it to potentials partners and here remain us when we had to abandon the club".

"We in 2015 think in formulas to find new income selling Barça to the world"

"Now it touches him to the Managing Board finish the project and present it to the directive that win the elections so that it validate it if it considers it beneficial. I think so would be it, but this no longer corresponds me to me and to the ancient managerial decide it but to which win the elections", aimed the ex vice-president Oriel Tomás to 'MD'. The Barça Corporate is a fusion of four projects that already have won recognition: Barça Academy, the Barça Innovation Hub, Barça Licensing and Merchandising (BLM) and Barça Studios.

Tomás remembered that the project valued in 2015 when they saw that the football suffered an inflation because of the growth of clubs that obtained income of a no conventional way for then. "They obtained his income no of ordinary form but with financial injections of states, of multinationals or of tycoons of the oil or the gas or the communication. Until the year 2005 or 2006, the big clubs to economic level were the Manchester United, the Barça, the Madrid and a bit underneath the Juventus. But suddenly they appeared Chelsea, the Manchester City, and the PSG, with rich states behind or millionaire tycoons that distorted the market of signings, what forced us to look for more income. And we in 2015 think in formulas to find new income selling Barça to the world", explained Tomás.

Four projects presented

Tomás exposed the goodnesses of the four already presented projects and that look for finance: the Barça Academy split like a school of football that has like end promote the culture, style, image and values of the team all over the world. "Already they are 55 that expand the mark Barça and generate a direct entry for the club", signalled.

The Barça Innovation Hub groups the knowledge of the club in the sportive, feeding and nutrition of the sportsmen. In addition to the medical knowledge, investigation of injuries and his recovery, the administrative knowledge linked to the sportive world. "We group all this knowledge, organise it in packages and offer it to people of out, to other entities and professional so that it pay by him, to form and know how work in a club referent as it is the Barça. And it is having a lot of demand", said Tomás.

By his part, BLM treats the sale of the line of sportive clothes, in addition to the rest of licensing and merchandising of the Barça. Barça Studios already has created audiovisual content of interest and high quality, like the documentary "Matchday" that explains from the breast of the institution what was the season 2018-19 for the first team, and that had big receptividad by part of the public.

"Also it has done a big documentary on the League of the 100 points with the figure of Tito Vilanova and his fight against the cancer like axis of the same, and also there are projects like a series of fiction on the Masia with script of Albert Espinosa and a series of cartoons that has very good paints. In summary, big projects that can give a big profit to the club to level of image and to economic level but that, to day of today, need 'petrol' to be able to run and advance", informed Tomás.

Goldman Sachs arrived to the Barça

With the end to promote these projects, needed a strategic partner and Goldman Sachs arrived to the Barcelona to contribute his recognised experience. Likewise, the ex vice-president explained the bases and aims of the Barça Corporate: "it treats to find a mate of trip that pay by the 49 percent of this business, remaining the club the 51 percent. Because it is better to have the 51 percent of something very good and profitable that the 100 by 100 of less dimension".

"With what pay this partner strategic, there will be petrol to be able to fund the projects of the four areas. And afterwards, on the profit that obtain with them, each one will remain his corresponding part associated to his percentage of investment. And the club will be able to have of his part of profit for what consider, to follow contributing bottoms to the Corporate but especially so that redunde in the profit of his professional teams, for fichar good players and renew them when it touch", informed.

A cuantiosa gain

Xavier Bosch said to 'MD' that the Barcelona could win some 200 million euros by 51% of gains from the Barça Corporate. When fulfilling five years, the strategic partner would have a window of exit of the project.

Goldman Sachs is intermediate

There is an agreement of finance between Goldman Sachs and the Barcelona for the Espai Barça, the project of reform of the Camp Nou, but in specific reference to the Barça Corporate according to Tomás, is only an intermediary to achieve a strategic partner taking advantage of his contacts in the financial market.

"Goldman Sachs presents our project to companies, speech with them and if they are interested presents them to us. And when it finds the selection by means of final auction and there is a partner chosen, will remain to disposal of the new president and the new together validate the project", emphasized. Oriol Tomás cleared besides that his intention was not to grasp to the charge, but face this commitment and direct to the club to the economic growth. It finalised wishing him success to the institution in the achievement of this ambitious project.