LaLiga giants Barca have been battling financial difficulties over the course of several seasons, with president Joan Laporta aiming to steady the ship, though it has not stopped them spending big in the transfer market.
Though Lionel Messi left the club in 2021, Barca this year signed Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde and Raphinha for big money, while also adding Andreas Christensen, Franck Kessie, Hector Bellerin and Marcos Alonso on low-cost deals. Ousmane Dembele was handed a new contract, too.
Barca sold 25 per cent of their TV revenue for the next 25 years to private equity group Sixth Street in two separate deals in June and July, while they have also turned to streaming platform Spotify as their new stadium and shirt sponsor.
On Monday, a club statement outlined a €1.255billion budget for the 2022-23 season, as well as confirming the previous financial year's turnover of €1.017billion, €98million of which is said to have been profit.
The forecasted profit for the next financial year is much greater, at €274m.
Barca's board also decided the club's general assembly of delegate members would be held virtually on October 9. Xavi's team host Celta Vigo at Camp Nou on the same day.
In a subsequent statement, Barca announced the tender process for the project management of the redevelopment of the Gol Sur section of their stadium had been finalised, with contracts signed with Catalan companies Enginyeria i Arquitectura Torrella and Ingenieros JG.
According to Barca, the tender process for the construction work has not yet finished.
Club president Joan Laporta said in a news conference earlier on Friday that Koeman had given the club "a scare" this week.
It came after the 58-year-old, who had a heart procedure last year, visited hospital, with conflicting reports over whether the trip was routine or related to anxiety.
Koeman attempted to clarify the situation on Twitter, writing: "Don't believe anything you hear. I am healthy, that's all that matters in life!"
The comments come at an uncertain time for Koeman, who has one year left on his contract at Camp Nou but is under pressure to keep his job.
Laporta has held initial talks with the Dutchman and his agent and is set to hold a further round of discussions in the near future after the head coach finished his first campaign in charge.
The president is said to have asked him to wait for a verdict while he looked at alternative options to fill the role.
Laporta faced questions at a news conference after speculation he would look to pursue Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola after the Champions League final.
Former Barca player Xavi, currently in charge of Al Sadd in Qatar, has also been heavily linked with the job.
"Ronald has a contract and that gives him peace of mind that he should not be rushed into a decision," Laporta said. "We spoke calmly with him.
"He had an episode that took him to hospital and he routinely gets checked up. He gave us a scare, especially thinking that a year ago he had a heart attack. I told him to take it easy.
"We spoke with respect. We will sit down with Ronald next week and we will decide after outlining all the aspects.
"Out of respect we owe Koeman, he has a current contract and don't rule it out [that he stays]. We are talking.
"We [the new board] arrived halfway through the season and said we would give our evaluation of the coach at the end of the season and communicate our decisions then.
"We've always worked with the maximum respect for Ronald Koeman. Of course, the admiration we have for him as the player who won us the European Cup at Wembley, and he still has a contract in place.
"At the end of the season we will evaluate his time here and make decisions accordingly. We spoke to Koeman and will continue to do so when making important decisions."
Adding to the complexity of the situation, Koeman's agent Rob Jansen - via his own Twitter account and that of agency Wasserman - appeared to hit out at Laporta.
"Imagine: I want to marry you, but I have doubts," he posted. "Give me two weeks to find a better partner. If I can't find the right person, we will get married anyway!"
A statement from Wasserman added: "The words of FC Barcelona's president Joan Laporta during a press conference today about Ronald Koeman's anxiety attack are overdone.
"Ronald has been to the hospital for blood pressure checks, a routine check for people with his medical history. We regret the way it got into the media. Ronald is fine, there is nothing to worry about."
Koeman replaced Quique Setien in August 2020 but has failed to make an impact at Camp Nou as he battled with Barca's dire financial situation, which led to Lionel Messi departing for Paris Saint-Germain.
Barca sit ninth in LaLiga after 10 games and Wednesday's defeat to Rayo Vallecano proved the final straw.
That loss followed on from a 2-1 home reverse at the hands of Real Madrid in El Clasico, with Koeman's vehicle mobbed by an angry group of Barca supporters after that match.
Barca's form in the Champions League has also been poor. The Blaugrana lost 3-0 to Bayern Munich and Benfica respectively in their opening matches, before clinching a 1-0 home win over Dynamo Kiev.
It is the first time Barca have opened with two losses in the competition, while the defeat to Benfica also inflicted back-to-back group game losses in a single season for the first time since 2000-01, with only Louis van Gaal (five) losing more such matches at Barca's helm than Koeman (three).
After each passing poor result, Koeman has conceded his future is out of his hands, though he argued the performance against Rayo did not befit the result.
Yet Barca's board decided to cut ties, with their decision confirmed early on Thursday morning local time.
"FC Barcelona has relieved Ronald Koeman of his duties as first team coach," a club statement read.
"The president of the club, Joan Laporta, informed him of the decision after the defeat against Rayo Vallecano. Ronald Koeman will say goodbye to the squad on Thursday at the Ciutat Esportiva.
"FC Barcelona wishes to thank him for his service to the Club and wishes him all the best in his professional career."
Koeman had endured a strained relationship with club president Joan Laporta since the former's election.
When elected in March, Laporta made it clear that Koeman was not a part of his long-term plans and the relationship has deteriorated from then on, despite suggestions at one point of a new contract for the Dutchman.
Barca will face Alaves in LaLiga on Saturday as they bid to salvage their position in the table without Koeman.
The club's all-time record goalscorer left on a free transfer to join Paris Saint-Germain last year upon the expiration of his contract, with Barcelona unable to secure a renewal due to the club's financial issues.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Messi could not bid farewell to Barcelona fans in person and admitted in November he was "hurt" following his exit.
Laporta admitted during Barca's Extraordinary General Assembly that he was "sad" at the sequence of events but vowed to still pay tribute to the club legend somehow, who won 45 trophies during his stint with the Blaugrana.
"I will support, lead and back anyone that finds solutions that lead to a tribute to Messi, for all that he has given to Barca," he said.
"We have to give him an eternal recognition for all that he has done.
"For me, Leo will always be at Barca. Circumstances made us do what we did but that can't spoil the recognition we have to give him and sooner or later, I hope sooner, we can pay tribute to this player who has given us so many years of glory.
"Without him, the last 20 years of Barca would not be understood."
Barcelona may choose to honour Messi in 2024, the club's 125th anniversary, which could also coincide with the player's exit from PSG as he penned a two-year deal with the option of a further year in the French capital.
The six-time Ballon d'Or winner is now a free agent after his deal at Camp Nou expired on June 30.
According to reports, Messi has agreed a new five-year deal with the Blaugrana while accepting a substantial pay cut – although there has yet to be official confirmation.
Barca's significant financial difficulties are likely to mean other players must leave before Messi – or any of the club's new signings, including Sergio Aguero – can be registered.
Nevertheless, club president Laporta says negotiations are progressing well and is confident there will be a positive update in the near future.
"The professionals are doing their job well," he said. "We are very satisfied with how everything is progressing.
"But you know that it is a special market that requires patience, skill and sometimes some juggling.
"But I think, as the summer progresses, we will be able to give good news."
Messi has spent his entire playing career with the Catalan giants, for whom he is the all-time leading scorer with 672 goals in 778 appearances.
The 34-year-old has also won 10 LaLiga titles with Barca since making his senior debut in 2004, as well as the Copa del Rey seven times and the Champions League on four occasions.
And he recently captured his first major international honour; captaining Argentina to Copa America glory following a 1-0 victory over Brazil in the final.
The famous stadium, which is due to undergo renovations that are expected to be completed in 2025, will carry commercial branding in its official title for the first time.
It will be known as Spotify Camp Nou, and the music streaming giant's name will also appear on the front of both men's and women's team shirts, beginning in 2022-23 and for the following four seasons.
The deal sees Spotify replace Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten on the front of Barcelona's shirts. Though the terms with Spotify have not been disclosed, the Rakuten deal had been reportedly worth up to €55million a season.
"We are very proud to announce a pioneering alliance like this with a world-renowned organisation like Spotify," Barcelona president Joan Laporta said in a club statement.
"This partnership will allow us to continue to bring the club closer to its fans and make them feel, even more, part of the Barca family through unique experiences, combining two activities such as entertainment and football, making it possible for us to connect with new audiences around the world.
"It is also a union with which we continue to take steps forward in this new era that we have started, and which demonstrates, once again, the innovative character and the constant search of excellence that distinguish Barca and have made it a unique club in the world."
The deal provides some financial respite for Barcelona, who have received warnings from LaLiga they must reduce costs to enable further squad investment.
De Jong – who is set to make his World Cup debut when the Netherlands face Senegal in their Group A opener on Monday – was strongly linked with a move to Manchester United in the last transfer window.
Despite the midfielder repeatedly stating his preference to stay put, Barca reportedly viewed him as the club's most saleable asset as they looked to fund big-money moves for Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde and Raphinha.
With Xavi making a series of vague statements on De Jong's future at the time, the Netherlands international believes the Barca boss was put in an uncomfortable position by those above him.
Asked whether Joan Laporta's administration was responsible for the transfer saga, De Jong told De Telegraaf: "I blame these people, but I have nothing to do with them.
"Yes, for me they are Barca because they run it. I don't see them when I'm at the club during my daily routine.
"Xavi, it's true that he left the door open to the possibility of me leaving because he never said 'Frenkie stays'. But I don't blame Xavi.
"I never had the feeling that Xavi was against me, and I think it was difficult for him to talk about all this."
Despite reports suggesting Barca were willing to let him leave, De Jong has continued to play a central role for the Blaugrana this season, making 17 appearances for Xavi's team in all competitions.
De Jong revealed he is targeting an extended stay at the club he joined from Ajax in 2019, adding: "I am very happy in Barcelona.
"When I play it is great and in terms of living here life is perfect. I see myself at Barca. Personally, I see myself here eight or 10 more years."
Haaland's stock continues to rise following Wednesday's double for Dortmund in their 3-2 Champions League last-16 first-leg win over Sevilla.
That made the Norway international the quickest player to reach double figures for goals in the competition for a single club, doing so in just seven matches - three games fewer than Roy Makaay for Bayern Munich between 2003 and 2004.
He has now scored a double in three successive Champions League games, having also netted twice against Club Brugge in the group stage.
Former Salzburg star Haaland has 18 goals in 13 games in the competition overall, which is a tally only Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski can match since the start of 2019-20.
That type of scoring form has seen Haaland strongly linked with the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United, Juventus and Barcelona.
Despite Barca's well-known financial struggles amid the coronavirus pandemic, Laporta - who has close links to Haaland's agent Mino Raiola - is not ruling out a possible move.
"If we have to improve the football team, I have the cards and I'm ready to play them," he said in direct response to the links with the 20-year-old attacker.
"It's because of the experience and the knowledge I have of the people who could intervene in all these situations.
"I want to send a message of calm to the Barcelona fans - we will be economically sustainable again."
Laporta is one of three remaining candidates in the running to take over as Barca's next president, along with Victor Font and Toni Freixa.
The elections were originally due to take place in January but had to be pushed back to March 7 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Catalan giants have bolstered their ranks with a slew of major recruits ahead of the new campaign, including Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde.
But the club's long-documented financial struggles has seen them forced to sell off non-playing assets and activate various 'levers' in order to register them in line with rules laid out by La Liga.
Even then, the Spanish giants have not been able to get all of their new faces on board, with Kounde still waiting for sufficient cap space to be made in order to include him in Xavi's squad.
President Joan Laporta previously hit out at comments by Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann over their transfer dealings, but Liverpool boss Klopp concurs with his compatriot over their dealings.
"No, [I do not understand] for various reasons," he was quoted by Bild. "One reason is that I'm not a financial expert.
"[But] the second [is] if you tell me I don't have any money, then I don't spend anything anymore. I'm watching this like a football fan, I don't understand."
Barcelona have sold part of their stadium in order to secure the deals, effectively ransoming their future if their gamble fails to pay off.
Klopp speculated that such a move could lead to bankruptcy, and drew parallels to Borussia Dortmund, who sold their stadium rights and narrowly avoided financial ruin after Hans-Joachim Watzke took over in 2005.
"The only club I know that once sold the stadium and other rights in advance was Borussia Dortmund," he added. "Aki Watzke had to come at the last second and save the whole thing.
"I don't know if there is an Aki Watzke in Barcelona."
Messi is out of contract at the end of the season and the Argentine's long-term future with Barca remains unclear.
The 33-year-old sent shockwaves through the world of football when he expressed a desire to end his near two-decade association with the Blaugrana ahead of the 2020-21 season, but after a lengthy transfer saga he opted to stay put.
An end to the tenure of Josep Maria Bartomeu – with whom Messi has had a tense relationship – as president in October has prompted the club to bring forward their elections to January 24.
Laporta, who served as Barca president between 2003 and 2010, is considered the leading candidate to triumph in the elections according to a poll in Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo.
Since his debut in October 2004, Barca have won 55.9 per cent of their LaLiga games without Messi (won 66, drawn 39 and lost 22), compared to 73.7 per cent with him in the side (won 368, drawn 83 and lost 48).
And Laporta believes his own personal relationship with Messi elevates him above other presidential candidates.
"I see him [Messi] as positive because he said he will wait until the end of the season, and that gives us time to make a convincing proposal," Laporta told Marca.
"And I have an advantage, with Leo I have credibility. He always tells me that everything I promised him was fulfilled. You know that if I give my word, I keep it.
"We missed huge opportunities having the best player in the world. At Barca there are no transition years.
"We should have won more Champions Leagues, we hope to resume that success story of Barca with the competition. By the way, during my [previous] tenure Madrid did not win any."
Other candidates have made bold claims about which players they will bring to Camp Nou if they were elected.
Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland plus Paris Saint-Germain duo Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have been the most high-profile names, but Laporta would not be drawn on transfer targets.
"I have my own sports project. I will not fall into the trap of naming names," he added.
"All the agents are calling me. I know them all and they want me to be president again, but I tell them that now I'm not talking about players or coaches."
Laporta also believes Barca's influence has diminished in recent years and he would seek to restore their standing.
"It has lost a lot of specific weight in the Spanish Football Federation, LaLiga, UEFA, FIFA and in all the bodies that govern football," he explained.
"Barca has to regain its credibility. We must have a presence to intervene in decision-making that affects football in general."
Messi's future has been shrouded in uncertainly for the best part of a year, with the six-time Ballon d'Or winner attempting to force a departure from Barcelona last August.
While that did not come to fruition, with Messi unwilling to drag the club through the courts in an attempt to exercise an apparent get-out clause, his future has been a constant source of speculation through 2020-21 due to his contract expiring at the end of June.
Barca president Joan Laporta said this month that contract discussions were going well, with Messi seemingly happier at the club since the October resignation of Josep Maria Bartomeu and the previous board.
Although a move to Miami would seem unlikely at this juncture regardless of Messi's relationship with Barca, Jorge Mas, co-owner of the MLS side, sees no reason why an agreement would not be possible in the future.
"I am optimistic Messi will play in an Inter Miami shirt because I think it will complete the legacy of the greatest player in our generation and will meet with the ambitions of the owners of Inter Miami to build a world-class team," Mas told the Miami Herald.
Former Real Madrid, Manchester United and England star David Beckham is among the others to own a share of the MLS franchise and also serves as its president.
Mas says he and Beckham have certain ambitions regarding the calibre of player they want to see in Florida, and someone of Messi's reputation fits the bill.
He added: "David and I have been working really hard, we have aspirations of bringing the best players here and Messi is a generational player, arguably the best player of all time."
The Dutchman, who was fired by the LaLiga outfit last October after 14 months in charge at Camp Nou, struggled at times on the Barcelona bench and was replaced by Xavi.
Koeman, who will embark on a second spell as Netherlands head coach after the World Cup in Qatar, has confirmed he attempted to bring in compatriot Wijnaldum during the final transfer window of his Barcelona tenure.
However, Koeman contends that president Laporta, then recently returned to the position as Josep Maria Bartomeu's successor, stymied any move by dragging his heels.
"I tried to sign Wijnaldum for Barca, but I failed because the president wanted to play with me more than bring in a player," Koeman told Dutch newspaper AD.
"That delayed the operation, and for that reason, he opted for PSG. Otherwise, he would have played for Barcelona."
Wijnaldum left Liverpool in June 2021 to join Paris Saint-Germain, but he struggled across a dismal first season, resulting in him being loaned out to Roma for the current campaign.
A serious leg injury has since left Wijnaldum sidelined, however, making it highly unlikely he will be included in the Netherlands' squad for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Barcelona star Putellas, who has scored 27 goals in 100 international appearances, will miss Euro 2022 after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in training on Tuesday.
Putellas' absence is a huge blow for Spain, with the 28-year-old, who top-scored in the Champions League with 11 goals last season, considered one of the best players in the women's game.
But Guijarro, another part of an all-conquering Barcelona team which won all 30 domestic league games in 2021-22, says Putellas simply being present will give Spain a boost.
"We are not going to deny that yesterday it was a really hard day," she said in a media conference. "It hit us, because we know that Alexia is fundamental inside of the pitch, as is shown, but also outside of it.
"Obviously we will be very close to cheer her up, to give her energy, to motivate her in any sense, but she has been the first one motivating us.
"She was here today and will be present in our first match. This will give us even more energy to compete and to win.
"Regarding the roles, as [fellow forward] Mariona [Caldentey] said, we all have to accept our responsibility to try to replace her between all of us, all the good things that she makes, with a plus from everyone."
Spain, who are also without record goalscorer Jennifer Hermoso after she suffered a ligament injury of her own, begin their Group B campaign against Finland on Friday.
Earlier on Wednesday, Barcelona president Joan Laporta used the unveiling of Franck Kessie to wish Putellas well in her recovery.
"She had injured herself, and from here I send all the support from the club, from all the people that love her," he said.
"We want her to recover as soon as possible, and we are all here to help her."
