Sergio Aguero has revealed the drastic cost-cutting measures Barcelona have been forced to take in an attempt to keep the club afloat in under the strain of around £1.15bn worth of debt.
Years of mismanagement left Barca forced to offload as many players as they could during the transfer window and saw them unable to re-sign Lionel Messi.
And part of the club’s penny-pinching tactics is to save electricity at the training ground and restricting the players’ use of the facilities.
Now Aguero, who moved to the Nou Camp on a two-year deal from Manchester City in May, has explained how players are required to turn up exactly 30 minutes before training begins, with all lights and electricity turned off until that point.
Speaking on his Twitch channel, he said: “At Man City, we used to arrive at least an hour and a half before training. Here, like 30 minutes before.
“I figured I will be there an hour before to see if I can go to the gym or whatever. But no, even the lights were off. It is very different.”
Barcelona president Joan Laporta gave a two-hour press conference last month in where he outlined the huge financial problems at the club and accused his predecessor Josep Bartomeu of telling lies.
“As of March 21, 2021, the debt was €1.35bn,” revealed Laporta. “Bartomeu was plugging holes in the short term and mortgaging the club in the long term. That leaves us a dramatic inheritance.
“The situation is dramatic, but we have good news. The strategic plan based on our credibility and experience, on the assets that Barca have, makes this situation temporary.
“I think that in a couple of years, the club’s economy will be healthy. We are not scared at all. We are highly motivated and positive and morale is high. It’s a big challenge but we are capable of overcoming it.”
Story first published on Fox Sports