Ser: Barcelona needs to return to Camp Nou as soon as possible due to contractual obligations, otherwise it will affect sponsorship revenue

Sel Radio issued a statement saying that Barcelona urgently needs to return to the Camp Nou Stadium as soon as possible, not only to get players and fans to end their "exile" and return to their home court, but also because there are contractual agreements and obligations between the club and its sponsors, which include both income and expenditure.

In December this year, Barcelona will start paying interest on 1.45 billion euros of financing obtained from Goldman Sachs and its investors. Even though Barcelona re-negotiated a repayment agreement through renegotiation, interest still needs to be paid. The interest amount is as high as 44 million euros and will be paid in December, which will become a major burden on Barcelona's finances without returning to the Camp Nou Stadium and the revenue expected to be generated through Camp Nou. By December 2026, these interest rates will double to 94 million euros.

Under the contract, Barcelona assured Goldman Sachs that the VIP box between the second and third floors of the Camp Nou Stadium will be put into use by January 1 next year. However, it is less than 3 months before this date, and the third floor stand may not be built in time by then, and these VIP boxes will be difficult to use. It is reported that Barcelona and Goldman Sachs are already discussing renegotiation to modify the terms.

In addition, Barcelona's chest sponsor Spotify has the naming rights to the Camp Nou Stadium, but as long as Barcelona does not return to Camp Nou, the sponsorship fees received by Barcelona will be greatly reduced. Currently, Spotify pays 5 million euros per year for the naming of the Camp Nou Stadium, which will continue until the renovation of the stadium is completed. Once the stadium is completed, Spotify will pay 20 million euros per year for 20 years.

Partial opening of the Camp Nou stands is not enough. At least 94,500 spectators must enter the game and 90% of the fixed assets and hardware facilities are put into use before they can be considered a complete return to Camp Nou. These Camp Nou stadium fixed assets and hardware facilities include benches, stadium exterior walls, circular structures that separate the stands, player appearance arches, access to the venue, advertisements on gates or permanent billboards, etc.

The contract signed with Spotify stipulates that Barcelona should return to Camp Nou completely by July 1, 2026, and if this date is exceeded, Spotify will continue to pay 5 million euros per year until July 1, 2028. If it exceeds July 1, 2028, Spotify can unilaterally cancel the stadium title sponsorship contract.

If you return to Camp Nou midway through the season, the 20 million euro amount will be shared by the remaining months. For example, if Camp Nou is completed on February 1, 2027, Spotify will pay 8.3 million euros (1.66 million euros per month for 5 months, till June 30, 2027), and then from July 1, 2027, Spotify will pay 20 million euros per year for 20 years until June 2047.

On the other hand, there are some agreements that will only take effect after the Camp Nou Stadium is ready. One of them is that Spotify has the right to host two concerts in Camp Nou. The club guarantees in writing that at least two concerts will be held without paying venue rent, and more events can be held with the consent of both parties. In terms of VIP seat revenue, even if Barcelona has not returned to Camp Nou, the Red and Blue Army does not have to worry about VIP seat revenue. On May 15, five months after signing a contract with New Era Visionary Group, Barcelona and the company signed a supplementary agreement that guarantees that 350 VIP seats (located behind the bench) will be available no matter where the team plays in the future.

The ticket prices for these VIP seats are 21,500 euros each. Whether Barcelona is at Camp Nou, Cruyff or Montwhich, the number and price of these VIP seats will not change.

Through this supplementary agreement, Barcelona hopes that New Era Visionary Group will pay the remaining 42 million euros. On January 3 this year, New Era Visionary Group paid 28 million of the €70 million for the right to operate 350 VIP seats over the next 30 years.