Hoeneß: Can’t Understand How Barça Still Plays in La Liga With €1.3 Billion Debt – They’d Have Been Relegated Anywhere Else

Uli Hoeneß, Honorary President of Bayern Munich, recently revisited FC Barcelona’s operational model during an appearance on a podcast, stating frankly that Barça’s approach should serve as a negative example for modern top-tier football operations.

Hoeneß: “Barça… that’s clearly not the model I want. In any other country, they would have been relegated long ago.”
“Really, €1.3 billion in debt – how can that possibly work? I simply can’t comprehend how they’re still playing in the top flight.”

Hoeneß specifically compared Barça’s financial model to Bayern’s. While Barcelona relies on various economic levers and short-term financial measures to barely maintain squad competitiveness,

Bayern has taken a path entirely free of debt, supported solely by stability.

When talking about teams that inspire or influence Bayern, he explicitly mentioned other clubs: Liverpool, Manchester United of the past, and Real Madrid in certain eras. But Barcelona was not on his list.