The contracts and history say that Nike has dressed Barça since 1998. The present says that this link, after ten months of arduous and tense negotiations, will extend until 2038 although the official statement that the club and Nike launched yesterday does not make it explicit. nor any data or associated economic amount.
Even so, from various sources from the Barcelona club it has emerged that, if all the variables are met, Barcelona will earn 1.7 billion euros for these next 14 years of joint work. And they point out that in the new pact there are many improvements for the entity compared to the previous contract with Nike that was signed in 2016.
At that time, the board of former president Bartomeu signed a bond until 2028 with 85 million fixed and some 20 million royalties to which annexes were added with concepts that added and others that subtracted and that, without a doubt, have affected the club’s financial expectations.
For example. Winning the men’s Champions League meant earning 5 million more. Not qualifying to play in the final rounds of the European competition left 10%. And the European successes of Barça women were not counted on because said team was not included in the contract.
Without the feminine and with these penalties popularly known as malus in practice it led to Barcelona earning 60 million euros annually in these last two seasons. A figure that Laporta considered insufficient since brands like Puma offered 100 million annually.
Furthermore, according to club sources, Nike failed to honor some bonuses for total sales that had neither been quantified nor settled to Barça. In fact, in 2021 and with the previous board, there were other litigations with a crossing of demands to claim 50 million from Nike for abuse of dominant position and non-payment of royalties for the sale of replicas.
Archive image of an FC Barcelona store
However, at the end of March, president Joan Laporta explained that he was considering unilaterally terminating the relationship with Nike due to breach of contract. The North American brand responded by presenting a series of precautionary measures. And he came out on top because in mid-July the Provincial Court of Barcelona ruled him right. Barça could neither terminate the contract nor should it negotiate with third parties. You won’t be able to do it now either.
In exchange, the previous penalties disappear in the new wording. And, for the first time in the club’s history, as this newspaper learned, if the Barça women’s team wins the Champions League, there will be an extra bonus.
For the first time in the club’s history, if Barça women win the Champions League, the entity will receive an extra bonus from Nike
Without a doubt, these last two achievements were the part most celebrated by the Laporta board, which met on Friday in an extraordinary and telematic manner to ratify the new agreement. Nike did it hours later.
The new contract, which will bring in a maximum of 1.7 billion until 2038, essentially consists of two payment tranches. In the first, which runs from now until 2028, about 48 more will be added to the current 60 million for a total of 108 million annually. Subsequently and until 2038 there will be an improvement that will range between 58 and 60 million over the current 60. Both tranches include the agreed prorated renewal premium of 100 million.
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Barça’s renewal with Nike had to become effective at some point in the current year. Mainly, because of the 893 million expected operating income, 446 million belong to the commercial area. At the last assembly of delegate members, treasurer Ferran Olivé recognized that the new contract was included in this item.
But it was also necessary to sign with Nike to improve the fair play economical in LaLiga. Currently, Dani Olmo is only provisionally registered until December due to Christensen’s long-term injury. LaLiga sources consulted by this newspaper assure that the economic control department has not yet studied the fine print of the contract but that they do not believe it is enough because in the end Nike does not pay the 100 million renewal bonus in one go. It has been prorated year by year until 2038.
The link with Nike does not guarantee Olmo’s registration in January since the renewal bonus of 100 million is not fully charged now
Management sources assume this possibility. And they consider that in order to reach the 1-1 standard and be able to register Olmo, it is necessary to close more investment agreements for Barça Vision before the end of the year. In total, of the 200 million it had to earn for that asset, the club only obtained 55 million for a business valued at 408 million.
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In any case, the board, which will have to hold an extraordinary assembly of delegate partners to ratify the agreement with Nike, has greatly celebrated this agreement. They consider that, together with the contract with Spotify, they have managed to oxygenate the entity financially. They also insist that with the return to Spotify Camp Nou, 350 million will be earned per year when the work is complete in 2026.
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