UpdatedJuly 20, 2022, 10:56 PM
FootballJulian Nagelsmann hits out at Barca following Lewandowski transfer
“It’s the only club in the world that has no money but can buy any player,” said the Bayern coach, following the departure of his star striker for Catalonia.
Julian Nagelsmann is cautious regarding the financial actions of the Barcelona club.
Imago
Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann has shown incredulity at Barcelona’s attacking recruitment policy, which has just snatched Bavarian Robert Lewandowski while the club is heavily in debt. “They bought a lot of players, I don’t know how: it’s the only club in the world that doesn’t have money but can buy any player, it’s crazy for me,” he said. is he surprised at a press conference, on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, in Washington, where the club is on tour. “They find solutions. I don’t know how, but yes, they have a better team than last season,” added the 34-year-old coach.
After several weeks of a showdown between Lewandowski and his management, the German champion finally agreed to sell him to the Spaniards for some 45 million euros, along with around 5 million in bonuses. A transfer recorded one year from the end of the contract in Germany of the Polish striker with more than 50 goals per season. “It was a good deal for Bayern. It’s difficult, he scored a lot of goals and he was one of Bayern’s big stars, but he would have left anyway, if it wasn’t for this season it would be the next one, so we would have had the challenge a year later and that’s why the deal isn’t so bad for Bayern,” Nagelsmann said.
“It was a good deal for Bayern. […] He would have left anyway, if it wasn’t for this season it would be the next one.”
Before “Lewi”, Barça had been very active in this transfer window by attracting Brazilian winger Raphinha, for an estimated transfer amount of 60 million euros, Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessié who arrived free and by extending Ousmane Dembélé with a salary, however, revised downwards, according to the Spanish press.
The reframing of Oliver Kahn
Bayern president Oliver Kahn took the opposite view from his coach: “I assume that Barca have accumulated a lot of debt. But the only ones who know the numbers are those of the club itself. It is therefore necessary to exercise a certain restraint when approaching the subject”. “None of us can judge their internal stories from a distance. I find it a bit difficult to make judgments. They must know what they are doing,” he added.
However, it was not the first time that Bavarian leaders, who pride themselves on maintaining sound finances despite the impact of the Covid pandemic, criticized the Catalan club. At the end of June, when Barça were already interested in Lewandowski, former president Uli Hoeness sneered: “They are apparently financial artists who, despite heavy debt, apparently always find a bank that gives them money. money to make such offers.
“They are apparently financial artists”
In March 2021, the Catalan club was “in a situation of accounting bankruptcy”, with an abysmal debt, cash flow problems and a huge wage bill, according to the ex-director general of Barça, Ferran Reverter. Since then, the club has spread its debt, sold assets (TV rights, etc.), taken out a new loan from Goldman Sachs, and signed contracts worth several million, notably with Spotify, enabling the club to be one of of the most prominent players in the summer transfer window … with Bayern.
Lewandowski is ‘always hungry for success’
(AFP)
