Trouble In Paradise: How Barcelona’s Crisis Left Women’s Team Short Of Players

How times person changed. For nan past fewer years Barcelona person been nan squad everyone wanted to join: 5 consecutive Champions League finals, stylish football, leaders successful women’s football, a stunning metropolis and Ballon d’Or winners for teammates. However, 10 years aft becoming professional, nan three-time European champions are a nine successful trouble.

Restricted by La Liga’s financial adjacent play rules, nan women’s squad person had a calamitous summertime transportation window. There person been six departures – each to nan Women’s Super League – while nan midfielder Alba Caño is leaving for nan NWSL successful January. They made only 1 signing, Laia Aleixandri connected a free transportation from Manchester City.

It whitethorn only beryllium nan men’s first squad that play successful La Liga but nan net limit imposed by nan governing assemblage applies to nan full club. Barcelona are not conscionable a shot nine but person various master teams crossed different sports and they are each affected by nan club’s financial situation stemming from nan men’s shot side. The teams affected see women’s football, basketball, handball, futsal, nan Barça academies and roller hockey.

“It would beryllium amended for everyone if each athletics had its ain regulations,” Xavi O’Callaghan, head of master sports astatine nan club, said. “Having nan master shot convention power everything else, it doesn’t make overmuch sense. But we person to play pinch these rules moreover if they aren’t nan fairest.”

The women’s shot squad has a excavation of €13.75m (£11.9m) for salaries, a full that counts towards La Liga’s net limit. The departure of nan six players came pinch nan volition of keeping to that sum and maintaining nan financial equilibrium betwixt nan women’s squad and nan remainder of nan club.

“The women’s squad has accrued its net by €1m [to €14.75m for nan 2025-26 season]; nan money is location but nan marketplace is inflated,” O’Callaghan added. “To clasp cardinal players we person to walk much [on them] and trust much connected nan younker system.”

The problem is that immoderate of nan younger players are already leaving. Caño, who is 21, rejected a caller woody and opted to motion for Boston Legacy FC. The 19-year-old Lucía Corrales was successful a akin business and signed for London City Lionesses (for €450,000). Judit Pujols, 20, has near for Wolfsburg while 19-year-old Emilia Szymczak is connected indebtedness astatine Liverpool and Giulia Dragoni (18) is astatine Roma.

The nonaccomplishment of knowledgeable players specified arsenic Ingrid Engen, Jana Fernández and Fridolina Rolfö has raised eyebrows, peculiarly nan latter. The Sweden world joined Manchester United successful August. The worst part? Barcelona did not person a interest for nan 31-year-old and, pinch 1 twelvemonth near connected her contract, had to salary to terminate her woody early.

Barcelona did not moreover person a interest for Fridolina Rolfö’s exit to Manchester United. Photograph: Johan Nilsson/AP

When Marc Vives, sporting head of nan women’s team, was asked astir Rolfö’s exit by Sport, he made it clear that it was partially a financial decision. “We considered her performances and recovered that they were not optimal,” he said. “And we decided that it was amended for her time off successful bid for america to thief this equilibrium betwixt nan net limit and nan sporting aspect.”

Barcelona whitethorn still person nan firepower to triumph different home treble but pinch a weakened squad that contains 17 elder players listed connected their website, winning different Champions League could beryllium beyond them. With truthful small depth, 1 wounded could propulsion their play into disarray.

Many positions deficiency back-up – Ewa Pajor, for example, is nan only cardinal striker successful nan squad. Two full-backs are internationals – Ona Batlle and Esmee Brugts – but nan 3rd successful nan pecking bid is nan 18-year-old Aïcha Cámara, who made her first-team debut successful nan Copa Catalunya successful February.

That could perchance beryllium addressed successful nan January window, but pinch nan finances of nan full nine up successful nan aerial that is acold from certain. An moreover bigger interest is that arsenic galore arsenic 9 players are retired of statement adjacent summer, including Mapi León, Clàudia Pina, Batlle, Caroline Graham Hansen, Salma Paralluelo and Cata Coll. The pursuing summertime Alexia Putellas’s statement runs out.

These are troubled times for nan Spanish champions and their position arsenic leaders successful women’s shot is nary longer thing nan Catalan nine tin return for granted.

Talking points

Expansion plans: Canada’s Northern Super League has launched its hunt for a seventh nine to grow nan section beyond six teams for nan 2027 season. AFC Toronto presently apical nan array successful nan master league’s inaugural year. The erstwhile Canada world Diana Matheson, nan league’s laminitis and main maturation officer, says: “The ngo of nan NSL is to beryllium a top-five convention successful nan world. We are assured successful our expertise to fulfil this ngo pinch an ownership group that aspires to beryllium among nan champion successful nan world.”

Setting records: Another convention connected nan measurement up is nan Frauen-Bundesliga. It was founded successful 1990 and has expanded to 14 teams this play pinch Union Berlin making their debut and Hamburg backmost successful nan apical formation for nan first squad successful 13 years. The first matchday of nan play already made history. Bayern Munich hosted Bayer Leverkusen astatine nan Allianz Arena and group a German women’s shot grounds crowd pinch 57,762 fans witnessing a 2-0 location win.

Bayern Munich’s fans savour a historical juncture astatine nan Allianz Arena. Photograph: Anna Szilágyi/EPA

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Quote of nan day

“We cognize nan squad that we’re playing against, we’ve sewage to beryllium professional, we’ve sewage to springiness precocious energy. I deliberation there’s thing for illustration 14,000 tickets sold, truthful it’s going to beryllium a raucous atmosphere.” The Manchester United caput coach, Marc Skinner, connected their distant limb against Norwegian broadside Brann successful nan Champions League convention 3rd qualifying round.

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