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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, Barcelona – Benfica: Barça, a key match to avoid further straining its accounts

The arrival of Xavi tends to forget everything else. The people of Barcelona are smiling again. And started to believe it again with their old midfielder metronome on his bench. But if he can revitalize the sports sector through his vision of the Blaugrana project, his knowledge of Masia and his playing philosophy or even his charisma, Xavi does not master everything either. And especially not the financial side. But to prevent his club from facing new concerns, he would do well to find how to bring back a positive result against Benfica on Tuesday.

The stake is indeed not only sporting on this meeting. And even goes well beyond. As we know, the Champions League is a precious hen that lays golden eggs for clubs and their accountants. Used since the 2000-2001 season to always pass the group stage, the Catalan club, released for the first time since 2007 in the eighth last season, has therefore seen far again for this year. Too much perhaps given the state of the club. “Our budgets were made with the idea that the team would reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League“, warned last October Eduard Romeu, vice-president of the economic sector of FC Barcelona.

Memphis Depay (FC Barcelona) v Deportivo Alavés / Liga

Credit: Getty Images

The quarter-finals of the C1? Nearly 20 million euros in my pocket

This outing surprised more than one. Because this optimism can place Barça a little more in a delicate situation if this does not happen as noted by the Catalan daily Sport before the last Blaugrana meeting in Europe. Going to the quarterfinals of the Champions League is indeed paying big. At least more than 20 million euros more than a simple passage in the group stage (note: 9.6 million for the 8th, 10.6 million for the quarterfinals at least). And it is not the possibility of being transferred to the Europa League which can help to forget a misstep in C1 (note: the winner will bring “only” 8.6 million this season).

For FC Barcelona, ​​which must face an economic abyss after years of catastrophic management, this is not trivial. And to give himself a chance to have a little leeway to bring a little new blood to his team while its president Joan Laporta would have promised some reinforcements in early November this winter despite the heavy constraints imposed on the Catalan club according to TV3, Xavi is certainly well aware that this match against Benfica is not a simple meeting.

Why imagine a negative scenario when you can envisage a positive outcome?

Slapped on the way to Lisbon in an apathetic match of its players (3-0), FC Barcelona therefore finds itself facing a key challenge on Tuesday. On the precipice after two defeats in the first two days, Barça certainly raised its head to the point of approaching in a position of strength the end of the group stage with six points, two more than Benfica. But on the last day, the teammates of Memphis Depay will travel to Bavaria to face Bayern Munich, who had humiliated them at Camp Nou to start this European season (0-3). And during that time, the Portuguese “Eagles” will host Dinamo Kiev.

Clearly, it would be safer to settle the case on Tuesday by winning against the Portuguese, a third victory in a row that would ensure its presence once again in the eighth. “Why imagine a negative scenario when you can envisage a positive outcome ? “Xavi wondered.”I see it as a golden opportunity to be able to advance to the round of 16. Football always offers you revenge, it’s our revenge, a test for us to show that we are still Barça“. History not to give a few cold sweats to the accountants of the club, already not spoiled for months.

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