Governing Bodies
Barcelona president says club’s finances in worse shape than thought
FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta said on Friday (Aug 6) that a recent audit had shown the club’s finances were in worse shape than previously thought.
“We cannot put the institution at greater risk,” he told a news conference held to discuss the departure of star player Lionel Messi.
Since Laporta took over as Barca president, the club has been trying to reduce its wage bill to stay within La Liga’s strict financial control rules.
La Liga had said last month that Barcelona, which has a total debt of more than 1 billion euros (S$1.59 billion), would not be shown any leniency.
Laporta said earlier on Friday that the club was unable to re-sign Messi as it had no margin to pay more under La Liga’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.
He said the club and Messi had both wanted to sign a new contract, but salaries already represent 110 per cent of the club’s earnings, meaning it is spending much more than expected and such a move would be financially risky.
“The club is above everything – even above the best player in the world,” Laporta told a news conference.
Laporta said that the club had agreed two deals with Messi, firstly a two-year deal made payable over five, and then a five-year deal.
However, they were unable to get the deal done because of La Liga’s FFP rules.
The Barca chief also said that the financial situation that he had inherited from former club president Josep Maria Bartomeu was “far, far worse” than anticipated.
“I said we’d do everything possible to keep Messi at Barca within the economic situation of club,” he said.
“We reached agreement but couldn’t formalise it, because of the club’s economic situation, which means we can’t register the player due to salary limits. I don’t want to go on and on about the situation we inherited, and the awful decisions that were made in the past. We have gone from bad to worse.”
Reacting to the news, Manchester City’s manager Pep Guardiola says Messi is not in the English Premier League champions’ sights now that the star Argentina striker is leaving, but they would be interested in Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane.
He was speaking a day after City completed the signing of midfielder Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for a Premier League record 100 million pounds (S$188 million).
Guardiola said he would have loved, as a fan, for Messi to see out his career at Barcelona but the club needed to be sustainable. He hailed Messi as “the most extraordinary player I have seen in my life”.
He said the Grealish deal came off because City had made almost 60 million pounds from the sale and loan of young players and could activate a release clause in his contract.
“When you sell for 60 million, you can afford 100 million. Otherwise it could not have been possible,” said the Spaniard.
He confirmed City’s interest in signing England captain Kane but said nothing could happen without Tottenham’s agreement.
“He plays for Tottenham Hotspur and if Tottenham don’t want to negotiate, it’s finished,” he said.
“If they are open to negotiate, of course many clubs in the world would want to try and sign him. We are not an exception.”
Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino, meanwhile, told reporters on Friday that Messi is an “option” that is being evaluated by the French football giants.
The Argentinian said he could not say more than what had already been said in public on the matter.
Pochettino, whose club is owned by Qatar Sports Investments, told a news conference that PSG’s directors always worked hard to improve the team in any way they could.
-Reuters
FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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