Barcelona director defends shock departures of SIX first-team players due to financial issues - with women's team set to lean on youth as more 'sustainable' strategy

Barcelona have been forced to release as many as six key first-team players this summer, including Swedish winger Fridolina Rolfo, who started in their Women's Champions League final against Arsenal this summer. Rolfo joined Women's Super League giants Manchester United on a free transfer. Among the other important squad members who left are Ellie Roebuck, Bruna Vilamala and Martina Fernandez.

According to The Athletic, the decision to release Rolfo was not a sporting decision, but was purely made out of financial constraint. For the 2024-25 campaign, the Blaugrana spent €319m (£275m/$373m) on salaries for the men’s team and €11m on the women’s side. The grassroots football department was allocated €17m. La Liga's financial fair play rules include money spent on all sporting activities, including the wages of the women's team. 

Speaking to reporters, Xavi O’Callaghan said: "The women’s team has raised its wage bill by €1M, so the money is there, but the market is inflated. To keep the key players, you need to spend more, which means relying on the academy and carefully deciding where to invest."

Pere Romeu's side will play their first competitive game of the season on August 30 as they take on Alhama in a Liga F clash.