Barcelona offered franchise option in Qatar that could bolster club accounts

Barcelona have been exploring all avenues of revenue in recent years, and the latest one to be proposed to the club is a franchise team in the Middle East.

The Blaugrana have plenty of bills to pay, with the renovation of Camp Nou, the Espai Barca project, and the running of a competitive top-level team to factor in. According to MD, the Barcelona hierarchy, including President Joan Laporta recently flew to Qatar to meet with their counterparts at Baladi Express in Qatar.

The President of their Advisory Council Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Attiyah was also present, and had been pictured with Laporta recently at Camp Nou, after Baladi Express signed a sponsorship deal with the club.

Their idea is that Barcelona would open a franchise in Qatar, and presumably lend the side their brand name, and in return bring in profits from the club. They make the comparison of the City Group, who not only own Manchester City, but also New York City FC amongst a number of others.

Previously Laporta had criticised his predecessors for their relations with Qatar, and in particular their decision to relegate UNICEF to the back of the shirt. He claimed that Qatar did not fit with the club’s values, but it appears their financial concerns have done away with Laporta’s scruples.