Barcelona: The path forward to a return to greatness

Barcelona needs to be financially responsible.

The second step is to adopt the virtue of rationality. This new ethic means that all decisions must be based on objective reality and in the club’s long term best interest.

Barcelona needs to get out of the trap of short-term emotional thinking. The most prominent example has been the club’s inept attempt to replace Neymar.

Neymar was sold to PSG in August 2017 for $244.2 million.

Barça has spent $151.8 million on Ousmane Dembélé, another $159.5 million for Coutinho, and $132 million on Antoine Griezmann.

What has the club received in return for spending $443.3 million on three players?

Dembélé has missed 81 matches since his arrival due to injury and was on the bench against Bayern on Friday.

Griezmann, who transferred before the start of the season, did not even start against the Bavarian giants and came in after half-time and did nothing.

Coutinho is on loan to Bayern Munich and was brought into the match on Friday in the 75th minute and scored two goals and added an assist – against us!

If I do the math right, this is a deficit of $199.1 million for absolutely no return.

The Blaugrana also has an unsustainable annual wage bill of $330.3 million. Messi makes $83.8 million himself.

In the current economy of football, this is an irrational, self-destructive business model for a team that will end the season trophyless for the first time in 12 years.