Recent financial turmoil at FC Barcelona is now reaching even their world-beating women’s team, leading to significant departures, budget cuts, and growing uncertainty for the upcoming season.
The FC Barcelona Femeni have conquered Europe, winning three Champions League titles since 2021 and dominating Spain’s Liga F for years. But beneath this success lies a new set of challenges: a shrinking squad, high-profile exits, and financial cutbacks—rooted in the overall club’s debt and the record-breaking costs of Camp Nou renovations.
Why Are Top Players Leaving?
This summer, the exodus is clear. Key stars like Fridolina Rolfo (now at Manchester United), Ingrid Engen (moved to Lyon), England’s Ellie Roebuck (joined Aston Villa), as well as Bruna Vilamala and Martina Fernandez, have all left. The first team now reportedly has only 17 or 18 active players—a dangerously thin roster for a club expected to compete for every trophy.
The Numbers Behind the Crisis
The root of the issue lies in FC Barcelona’s overall debt—staggering at over €1 billion—as well as La Liga financial fair play regulations. La Liga bundles the men’s, women’s, and youth budgets together, so the expensive men’s team and stadium redevelopment directly limit the women’s budget. For the 2024-25 season, the men’s team gets €319 million for salaries, compared to just €11 million for the women’s side. Despite small increases to the women’s budget, it’s nowhere near enough as the women’s market for salaries and transfers continues to grow.
To balance accounts, the club must save at least €1 million on the women’s side—which has meant selling or not renewing multiple players, sometimes with little or no fee. At the same time, only one notable player (Laia Aleixandri, on a free transfer from Manchester City) has joined—leaving fans and pundits concerned about competitiveness and squad depth.
Is the Future Secure?
While club leadership claims the women’s team remains a priority, critics worry that the sacrifices demanded of the women’s squad—after years of on-field and off-field growth—represent a step backward. Many contracts, including those of stars like Alexia Putellas, are expiring soon, making negotiations even more urgent and fragile.
The story of Barça Femeni this season is more than just football—it’s about the collision of ambition, club debt, and financial rules, and it poses the question: can the most successful team in Europe stay on top when held back by finance, not football?
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